The Olympic Games have always been a source of inspiration featuring the best of the best in amateur...

1. 10 Inspirational Stories from the Winter Olympics
The Olympic Games have always been a source of inspiration featuring the best of the best in
amateur sports and athletics competitions. Just watching these athletes achieve amazing feats is
awe-inspiring, but when you think they can't do any more, they go that extra mile. This is what takes
an athlete from great to exceptional. Read on to uncover the top 10 most inspiring stories of the
Winter Olympics, stories of people overcoming the greatest obstacles in their quest for excellence.
The Jamaican Bobsled Team: Tropical Inspiration
One of the most inspirational stories of the Winter Olympics has to be the success of the Jamaican
bobsled team. They debuted at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta where they became
famous because of the novelty of a tropical based team competing in a winter sporting event.
Unfortunately, they did not finish because they lost control and crashed. However, they were
greeted with applause when they walked to the finish line, carrying their sled.
They showed significant improvement throughout the games, impressing onlookers with fast starts,
and then went on to qualify in the 1992 Winter Olympics in France. Here, they finished poorly but
they did place 14th, ahead of the US, Russia, France and Italy in the 1994 Winter Olympics in
Lillehammer, Norway. In 2000, the Jamaican team took home the gold medal from the World Push
Bobsled Championships. Their story inspired the major motion picture, Cool Runnings.
Dan Jansen: Overcoming Personal Tragedy and Going for Gold
Dan Jansen is one of the best American speed skaters in history and his story is one not easily
forgotten. In the 1988 Winter Olympics, Jansen was one of the favorites to win the gold. However,
the devastating news of his sister's death of leukemia mere hours before the beginning of the race
led to him losing in both the 500 and 1,000-meter races.
He again failed in 1992 in Albertville but at Lillehammer in 1994, Dan Jansen not only won the gold
but also set a new world record. He dedicated the medal to his sister in a touching moment.
Lillehammer was to be the last time he competed in the Olympics and he went out in style, raising
the bar for all Olympic competitors.
Vonetta Flowers: Accidental Olympian
Vonetta Flowers had always dreamed of competing in the Olympics but had always been
unsuccessful in securing a spot on the Track Field team. In 2000, a few months before the Olympic
trials she was admitted to hospital for the fifth surgery on her knee in eight years. Her
disappointment led to her decision to retire after a disappointing performance at the trials.
A mere two days after the trials, Vonetta's husband decided to try out for the U.S. bobsled team
after seeing a flyer inviting track and field athletes to try out. Vonetta was not interested and was
still trying to deal with the fact that she would never live out her dream of competing in the
Olympics. However, she agreed to accompany her husband to the trials. Unfortunately, Johnny
pulled his hamstring as soon as the trials began and Vonetta agreed to stand in for him.

2. This series of accidents would lead to Vonetta and her partner, Jill Bakken, winning the Gold medal
at the Winter Olympics only a year later, becoming the first U.S. bobsled team to win a medal in 46
years. Vonnetta Flowers is also the first person of African descent to win a Gold medal at the Winter
Olympics!
Dale Begg-Smith: The Canadian Who Became Australia's Olympic Hero
Dale Begg-Smith, also known as the Iceman, won the Gold medal for Australia at the 2006 Torino
Winter Olympics in skiing. Born in Vancouver, Dale worked hard just to qualify for the Australian
team, perfecting his technique and style for three years. His hard work paid off as he won Australia's
first Gold medal in this category.
Dale originally skied for Canada but he was not allowed to focus on other responsibilities, such as
school, alongside the team and decided to leave. Steve Desovich, Dale's coach at the time, advised
him to move to Australia, where he received dual citizenship and joined the Australian team.
Ruben Gonzalez: Oldest Winter Olympics Competitor
At the age of 47, Ruben Gonzalez will be competing in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics as part
of the U.S. luge team. Gonzalez is a national luge champion and a three-time Olympic competitor.
His story began at the age of 21, when Scott Hamilton's win of the Olympic Gold Medal kindled a
fire in him to compete in the Olympics. As a boy, he had moved to the U.S. from Argentina when he
was 6, as his father worked for Exxon and they were relocated. He spoke no English and was teased
or ignored by his classmates.
Most luge athletes begin training at the age of 12, but this did not deter Ruben. After many crashes,
bruises and broken bones, Ruben qualified to compete in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Since
then, he has also competed in the Albertville and Salt Lake City games, and will now be competing
again at 47 in the Vancouver games.
Han Xiaopeng : China's Golden Inspiration
Han Xiaopeng not only won China the first gold medal in Olympic history, but also become the
youngest Olympic skiing champion. Born in 1982, Xiaopeng's rise was anything but easy. After
suffering a severe knee injury in 2000, at the World Cup, and again in 2001, before the Salt Lake
City Olympics, Xiaopeng seriously considered retiring. The damage to his knee was so extensive that
he had to be hospitalized with experts claiming he was lucky he hadn't been crippled for life.
However, exhibiting the true spirit of an Olympian, Xiapeng forged ahead. With a lot of hard work
and pain, he won the gold in the 2006 Torino Olympics. Because of his victory, China has begun
spending more money on sports and supporting their athletes.

3. Nikki Stone: They Said She Would Never Walk Again, She Brought Home the Gold
Nikki Stone won the gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics for inverted aerial skiing. The stunning
aspect of this win is that a mere two years earlier more than ten doctors told her she would never ski
again, especially since she couldn't even stand at the time. Two spinal discs had suffered massive
damage due to a chronic injury and they told her there was nothing they could do.
However, Nikki refused to go down without a fight and two years later proudly stood on the Olympic
podium, receiving her gold medal. She has continued to prove her doctors wrong by winning 11
World Cup titles, four national titles and two Overall Grand Prix titles. Not too shabby for someone
who would never ski again.
Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards: A Different Kind of Success
Edwards' dream was to compete in the Olympics as a downhill skier. However, he just missed
qualifying for the British team for the 1984 games. In an attempt to improve his chances of
qualifying for the 1988 games, he moved to Lake Placid in the U.S. to be able to enter higher
standard races. Unfortunately, he soon ran out of funds so he switched to ski jumping. This way he
could qualify easier, as there were no British ski jumpers, and the costs were much lower.
Not only was he heavier compared to other competitors, he also was very shortsighted, meaning he
had to wear glasses all the time. However, he still qualified for the games and at the time, he was
living in a mental institute because he couldn't afford any other accommodation. He came in last in
both ski jumping events but captured the hearts of people all over the world.
He became known as "Mr. Magoo" and was singled out by Frank King, indirectly, in the closing
speech to the Winter Olympics. When King stated, "some of you have flown like an eagle," over
100,000 people in the stadium shouted out Eddie's name.

4. Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards was chosen to be one of the torchbearers of the 2010 Vancouver
Olympics and ran with the torch in Winnipeg.
Simon Ammann: From Zero to Hero
Simon Ammann, hailing from Switzerland, took home the gold for both the normal and large hill ski
jumping events at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, despite never having placed among the top 12
in any other competition. The 20 year old, who looked no older than 13 and was quickly compared to
Harry Potter, almost didn't make it to the games at all. Only two weeks before the start of the
games, he suffered a concussion while jumping.
He is the second man to have taken the gold in both events, preceded by Matti Nykanen of Finland.
"Miracle On Ice": Do You Believe in Miracles?
February 1980 saw a shocking miracle on ice as an inexperienced, amateur U.S. hockey team beat
the Soviets, who had defeated the Americans easily a week prior, and went on to take the gold. The
Soviets were considered the best team in the world and no one doubted they would be walking away
with the gold. To see this young team, made up of mostly college kids, beat the Soviets provided a
much-needed ray of hope for the U.S. At the time, the country was suffering from high
unemployment and inflation, as well as many political issues.
Mike Eruzione made the winning shot ten minutes before the end of the match, while goalie Jim
Craig fought off the Soviet attacks until the match concluded.
http://www.infobarrel.com/10_Inspirational_Stories_from_the_Winter_Olympics