Another summer Olympics have come and gone and it will be another four years before athletes of several nations compete against each other on the international stage.

Much has been said already about the good, the bad and the ugly of these games and its current host city of Rio so I won’t rehash the highlights here. Rather I’d like to share some more inspirational thoughts connected to Rio 2016.

*Usain Bolt life lessons

This Jamaican sprinter has scoliosis and is often not in the lead early on in the race. Clearly a curvature of the spine and a slow start hasn’t impeded his ability to win triple gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games. The takeaway?

One can succeed in spite of a medical diagnosis. Work with what you’ve got.

&

It’s not how you start but how you finish. Even if you’re not first right off the bat you can still finish in a blaze of glory.

*The presence of a refugee team highlights the current state of affairs in world politics. This is the first time such a team has been formed. It will be interesting to see if there is need for another one in four year’s time.

*The planting of seeds in the athletes forest was a novel idea. Let’s see if the “seeds of hope” project is coupled with other environmental action by the Brazilian government.

*And my personal fave: the parade of nations. I love watching the teams go by and counting off the countries to which I have been and the ones to which I’d like to go. In spite of the competition of the games, there is also a spirit of community that goes beyond the medal count.

And now back to watching the closing ceremonies…