Today marks the start of the 30th modern Summer Olympics, a tradition that has seen multiple world wars, unthinkable physical achievement and unmatched human spirit, scandal and glory, and spawns commerce, creativity, and globalism like no other event in history. My dad won a gold medal in the 400m hurdle event exactly 60 years ago, a fact which has inspired me ever since I was a young girl (although my goals never involved track shoes, but rather more creative endeavors that have often felt just as out of reach as Olympic qualification). Today's post is a tribute to the Olympic tradition, as I watch the world's best athletes march into a brand new East London stadium to make their mark in history.
