The swimmer sliced through the water. She was swimming the race of her life. Every muscle, every nerve, every fiber of her being strained to be the best she could be. She pushed her body as fast as it would go. Stretching, straining, reaching, her fingertips touched the wall. She was done. She turned to look at the scoreboard.
She'd finished last. Dead last. She'd finished more than 20 seconds behind the top qualifying time. For her, the Olympics were over. She wouldn't be going on to the semi-finals. She was done.
Even so, a look of jubilation crossed her face and she pumped her fist into the air triumphantly. Why? She'd just beaten her personal best time by two full seconds.
Officially, she finished last, but from the joy evident on her face, you'd have thought she won gold.
Maybe she did.
That, my friends, is what the Olympics are all about.
*Note: I don't remember the swimmer's name or country, but this is a true story.
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