A note from Ann Rmoney to everyone at DU and all Americans...

[Atman]

38. Did you see the Irish gymnast today? Holy crap!

Ireland doesn't exactly have a big Olympic men's gymnast team. But this kid...OMG...

At a very young age, he was diagnosed with some foot problem. Doctors said he'd never walk again. He had surgery, and doctors said he'd walk, maybe, but not much else. Then he broke hips and bones -- I'm absolutely CERTAIN I'm getting the details wrong, but not by much -- and in the meantime, he worked his way through trials and qualifying competitions, holding bake sales and private fundraisers to get himself through these events, and on the Olympic team. And he wound up as one of only two Irish men on the Olympic team. And he did fucking bake sales after years of surgeries (funny how NBC didn't explain how this poor kid paid for all of the surgeries in Ireland). But he made it to the Olympics out over incredible, mind-boggling obstacles. He did an amazing floor routine, but screwed up his final two landings...but the kid was beaming. He made it to the Olympics and he competed.

Ann Romney had her goddam horse flown over on a 747 and she had someone else ride it, and she says she was "in the Olympics."

And these people wonder why we're so disgusted with everything about them.

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http://www.reuters.com/london-olympics-2012/articles/gymnastics/mens-gymnastics-artistic/2012/07/28/gymnastics-tears-and-cheers-plucky-irish

<snip>

As a 10-year-old, and already two years into gymnastics training, Behan developed a tumour in his leg.

"Luckily it wasn't cancerous but the operation went wrong and I suffered severe nerve damage so I had to learn to use my leg again and I was in a wheelchair for 15 months," he told reporters.

"I got back into the gym and then at the age of 12 I suffered a head injury. I had a freak accident coming down from the (high) bar on the back of my head and I was again in a wheelchair for a long time.

"After three or so years out I eventually was able to take my first steps back into the gym and then went on from there, but I ruptured both my anterior cruciate ligaments in my knee."

Determined not to give up, Behan battled on and became only the second Irish gymnast to qualify for an Olympic Games.

<snip>