Olympic Torch to Rekindle Embers of Hope

Author:  Catherine deVrye

Short Description

It’s hard to believe twenty years have passed since I was honoured and humbled to carry the 2020 Olympic Torch Hindsight to Rekindle Embers of Hope, on the day of the opening ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympics; one of only 26 people before Cathy Freeman lit the cauldron in the stadium. I’d been privileged […]

It’s hard to believe twenty years have passed since I was honoured and humbled to carry the 2020 Olympic Torch Hindsight to Rekindle Embers of Hope, on the day of the opening ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympics; one of only 26 people before Cathy Freeman lit the cauldron in the stadium. I’d been privileged to attend the closing ceremonies when the flame was extinguished in Atlanta, and four years later stood at Uluru when Nova Peris began, barefoot, her 100 day journey from the centre of our nation.

As Sydney hosted the biggest party in our history a few days before my birthday, I couldn’t help but reflect that I never had a 21st celebration because my parents died from cancer that year. An only child with no immediate family, I left Canada with a backpack and $200 for a three month working holiday—vulnerable and very alone.

Many people of all ages feel that way today during this global Covid-19 pandemic, the mood in our community is completely different to the positive vibes in any city which hosts the Olympics.

Since 1896, the modern Olympics has aimed to build a better world of non-discrimination through sport, with a spirit of friendship and fair play that leads to mutual understanding.

Having attended five Olympic Games, I suspect power and commercialism have somewhat muddied those noble motives. Yet there is little doubt that, for at least a brief period in time, athletes, volunteers and spectators from around the globe unite to celebrate sporting excellence and a common connection that requires no common language.

Today, there are no mass celebrations anywhere as scientists throughout the world are in the race of our lives to discover a vaccine. They and healthcare workers of all creeds give their personal best on a daily basis. We all must do likewise in whatever modest or magnificent endeavours we pursue, even in times of job loss and restrictions. We can all just do the best we can with what we’ve got.

During the Olympic Games, many dreams were achieved or shattered in a thousandth of a second. For some, silver medals were disappointing although being second best in the world is certainly no shame. Others, like ‘Eric the Eel’, had their wildest dreams fulfilled by simply competing, even though they finished last. For this African swimmer, who had never before swam in a 50 metre pool, winning was never an expectation so was never a disappointment. He enjoyed the moment more than most, as did so many of the Paralympians, who were an example of courage to us all.

Olympic Torch to Rekindle Embers of Hope

Covid courage is required to ignore the cynicism today; akin to the sarcastic signs that appeared in some retail outlets after the Olympics:

You can stop smiling now—they’ve all gone home.

Now is the time for that unsolicited nod or smile to a stranger. Now is the time to tell friends you care  and check how they’re really doing on a regular basis-not just on a nominated day of the year.

And let’s be a little more tolerant of our politicians on all sides of the fence—because even if we don’t agree with every move they make, it’s too easy for us as spectators on the sidelines to be a critical armchair coaches as we watch the replay of a game with 20-20 hindsight. Let facts and science be the referee.

Doc Carlson, founder of basketball, once said:

‘Life is the biggest and fastest game of all and when the final score is in, it’s not whether you won or lost but how you played the game.’

While a vaccine seems high out of reach and there’s no rule book for this waiting game, Victorians are asked to sit on the sidelines a bit longer. National and global goal posts are constantly moving but the viral ball remains in our court.

We have to cope with it as best we can, one day at a time, and remember that we are still on the same team. No matter how dark times may seem, we must not let circumstances permanently extinguish our dreams.

As a member of the Sydney 2000 torch relay, with every step I took I felt a small part of something much bigger than myself—the international goodwill that was so readily shared as we opened our doors and our hearts to worldwide visitors.

I may have missed my 21st birthday celebrations one September a long time ago when I arrived in Australia with my life at an all-time low. I never could have imagined that the biggest problem of my life would turn into the biggest opportunity of becoming an Australian citizen; and a quarter of a century later, life was near an all-time high when I carried that torch on behalf of my adopted country on September 15, 2000.

Twenty years hence, like the Olympic flame as a symbol of hope burning eternal, let’s rekindle that spirit of kindness and common connection—albeit remotely and with social distancing.

PS The Dutch translation of DeVrye is Freeman…

Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter

Video

The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.

Similar to Olympic Torch to Rekindle Embers of Hope

Josh Linkner

We all want to come up with the BIG Little Breakthroughs and the winning idea, solve the challenging problem, or invent something major that will become a staple for generations to come. Under pressure, it’s easy to freeze up and procrastinate. We get the false assumption that the only ideas that are important are the BIG […]

  • Author: Josh Linkner
Mike Walsh | Between Worlds Podcast

Now that we are in the midst of the world’s largest remote work does not work experiment, it’s worth asking: what does it take to run a good virtual meeting? It is all too easy to just focus on what can be controlled and configured: security, bandwidth, platforms or devices. However, when it comes to […]

  • Author: Mike Walsh
wespeak global latest news

Unleashing the Power of Motivational Speakers: Jason Hewlett and David Allison In our journey towards personal and professional growth, we often find ourselves in need of inspiration, guidance, and a gentle push to unlock our full potential. This is where the power of motivational speakers comes into play. These dynamic individuals have the ability to […]

  • Author: WeSpeak Global
rachel sheerin

Thinking of Self Care When Burned Out as i was Heading to Dallas from Kansas City recently, I heard the familiar tone of the voice over the intercom start up: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve got a full flight to Dallas today…” Travel is BACK and flights are almost always full again, so I couldn’t be […]

  • Author: Rachel Sheerin
Keys to Build Resilience

As a keynote speaker on the topics of leadership, connection, resilience, and relationships, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about Choose Compassion Over Empathy over the past year and Why Leaders Must Choose Compassion Over Empathy. In fact, in my virtual presentations on personal connection, I quickly became aware of the buzzwords associated […]

  • Author: Colette Carlson
Sterling Hawkins | Predictable Results

#NoMatterWhat is a system to get results regardless of outside circumstances. A set of 5 practices to create transformational growth for people, organizations and companies. The world is more uncertain and more unpredictable than ever. We have a pandemic, civil unrest, tech disruption, misinformation and still brutal competition and more customer, community and family demands […]

  • Author: Sterling Hawkins
peter diamandis

Getting absolutely clear about HOW TO UNCOVER YOUR PASSION is critical to your success as an entrepreneur. You want a passion that you are willing to shout from the rooftops—that you’ll share with everyone, even strangers at a cocktail party. Why is identifying your unique passion so important? Because passion is fundamental to your forward progress. […]

  • Author: Peter Diamandis
Sara Sutton

Sara Sutton Fell, the founder of 1 Million for Work Flexibility, and CEO and founder of FlexJobs, shares tips on how to negotiate workplace flexibility.   Workplace flexibility is not just an issue that impacts working women; working men are also eager for solutions that help them balance work and home, and a new survey […]

  • Author: Sara Sutton Fell

Our Mission

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME