If you’re a
fan of the Olympics and tuning into the London
games, we have a secret worth sharing. Sorority women are among the greatest
athletes of this season competing in everything from cycling to water polo. And
here’s another tidbit – we’re not just on Team USA. Sorority women are also
representing Canada and New Zealand,
according to our member groups.
Sharing what
we do in all corners of our lives is important to the National Panhellenic
Conference for more than one reason.
For starters,
we like to bust image-bending stereotypes whenever we can.
Olympians who
practice discipline, grace under pressure and team camaraderie, surely deliver
on that order.
We also like
to share in our successes so sorority sisters can emulate a work and personal
ethic that takes us all to the next level. What inspires one woman can inspire
many women.
And here’s
another X chromosome factor you may be unaware of: For the first time in
Olympic history, every country will have a woman competing on its team,
according to the International Olympic Committee.
Today’s
competitors are fierce and driven.
Nikola Girke, a Gamma Phi Beta, has qualified as
the sole Canadian representative at the London 2012 Olympic Games in women’s
windsurfing. She is one of the few who successfully switched from one sport –
crewing on a sailboat in the 2004 games in Athens
– to windsurfing in the London
games this summer.
Abby Johnston, competing in the 3-meter springboard
synchro event for the U.S. Dive Team, is a Delta Delta Delta from Duke University.
As her Duke coach pointed out to Sports Illustrated, Johnston knows how to balance sports and
education – a sometimes grueling path for anyone with diverse goals.
Even more
impressive, Duke and Stanford are the only schools to place multiple divers on
the Olympic team.
Johnston might have made a
different turn. As a young gymnast, she gave up her first sport of choice
because of back injuries – but was encouraged by her coach to train in diving
starting at the age of 12.
Like many sorority women who persevere, Johnston has shown us you can continue on
with your dreams no matter the obstacles that beset your path.
We have many other sorority women who’ve added the title Olympian
to their resumes for the London games, including Delta Zeta’s Allison Aldrich, Alpha Xi Delta’s Suzanne Stettinius and Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Kristin Armstrong.
These ladies have no time to waste as they continue on with
competition, including gold medalist Armstrong who recently broke her
collarbone.
August 12 marks the end of the games this summer. Let’s applaud
the achievements of our Olympian sisters and remember that these sorority women
have built a foundation for future successes while providing us with role
models along the way.
