Words.
I don’t know that I have the words to properly describe just how proud I am of our Women’s Olympic Hockey Team.
They were amazing! That final game against the USA had me feeling all the possible emotions. There was excitement, fear, nerves, stress, joy, and yes some grief when the Americans scored the winning goal. For those of you who scoff at the idea of feeling grief during a hockey game, well, hey, it’s a Canadian thing. 😉
Did I start watching that game expecting my team to win gold? Sure. How could I not? I expect all the Canadian athletes to win gold whether the stats show they most likely will or not. Am I delusional? No. I like to think of it as hopeful, and proud of our athletes.
Now, I’m not some expert hockey watcher, I can’t pick apart the game and discuss what was done wrong, what should be changed for next time, things like that. I can tell you that as a spectator that game had it all. At various times throughout the game I was leaping from my seat to cheer, yelling at the ref’s calls, sitting on the edge of my seat, fist pumping the air, swearing, rocking back and forth in an attempt to self-soothe, and I will admit, at the end my head was hanging and I had tears in my eyes. Not for me. Not even for my nation’s pride (which is so closely tied to our hockey), but for our athletes who worked so hard, pushed themselves so far, were riding on adrenaline to help mask the exhaustion their bodies were feeling. I was overwhelmed with sadness for them. Knowing that they not only are feeling the deepest levels of despair but that it is being televised and will be picked apart for years to come.
Our Women’s Olympic Hockey Team won SILVER! And that is awesome!
That should be celebrated, not discussed like it is a failure. All those people who think the Silver isn’t good enough, I’d love to know what medals they have won at the Olympics lately.
The Amazing Shrinking Woman 
Very well said! For many of our team, it was their first Olympic appearance, and they did us proud! We will see them again in 4 years time.