It was a beautiful day for a Greek Olympics. The opening ceremonies were inspiring and the excitement in the room was palpable. Isaac lined up with his class, his team wearing black. He was ready to win (even though they didn't really keep score), his body conditioned to perfection.
His first event was long jump. He jumped far--longer than he is tall. It was an impressive distance and the crowd cheered loudly for him (the crowd consisting of his mother, his grandmother, and his baby sister).
There were other events taking place that took longer than the long jump so the Olympians of Catherine Lee's class chatted in camaraderie, cheering each other on.
While waiting for the cue to switch events, the officiator (a seventh grader) filled the time by leading the Olympians in other feats of athleticism: the crab walk, the bear crawl, and a relay race. All was going well, Isaac performing to the best of his ability when the officiator suggested the Olympians link arms and walk down the length of the concrete. Isaac enthusiastically jumped in as a volunteer to show how it should be done. He linked arms with his partner and began walking and then....
His partner tripped and fell on him, sending Isaac to the ground. His hands, linked behind his back, could not save him from a tragic collide with the concrete.
After a visit with the medic and a large amount of sympathy from his teacher, mother, and grandmother, he was sent back on his way to finish the remainder of his Olympic challenges.
Isaac proved himself to be a true Olympian--He showed true sportsmanship and didn't even get mad at his fellow Olympian when he fell on him. He showed dedication and the ability to get back up and try again even in the face of his set back and he showed a cheerful attitude throughout the day even though he was in a great deal of pain (for days following the accident).
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