I was watching when...

My mom always talks about knowing exactly where she was when President John F. Kennedy was assasinated. I think that perhaps I will always remember exactly where I was when the United States men's swimming team won the 4 x 100 freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The United States trailed for the majority of the race, and in the last meter, with a Herculean effort, won by .08 seconds, dropping almost four seconds off the world record.

If you haven't seen it, find a video of it. Watching the actual race will be worth your effort. It's truly one of the most exciting finishes to an athletic event that I have ever seen. But then make sure you understand the context.

First, there is the fact that the top five teams all turned in times under world record pace. The top three teams will go home with medals for their efforts. But can you imagine the heartbreak of teams four and five, swimming under world record pace with nothing to show for it in the end? Somehow, telling them that "at least you have the experience of competing in the Olympics", seems a little trite.

Second, there is Michael Phelps, who is attempting to break Mark Spitz's gold medal record by earning 8 gold medals in one Olympics. This was the event where he was most vulnerable to losing that bid. From all reports, he is a driven yet humble athlete who puts himself out at 100% every day. And his hope for his goal is still alive.

Then there is the French relay racer, Alain Bernard, who also is a talented swimmer and is a world record holder in the 100 meter freestyle. But he will probably never be known for that talent. He will always be the one who claimed he and his team could "smash" the Americans in this race, but in the end couldn't deliver.

What about the three American swimmers who swam in the preliminaries, qualifying the team in first position by breaking what was then the world record. The talent pool of American swimmers was so deep that only one of the swimmers (Jones) was able to actually swim in the finals, despite the amazing performance they gave. It is fortunate that all seven of them will be receiving medals. And all seven of them will be able to tell their children and grandchildren that they held a world record.

But my favorite story of this event is the story of Jason Lezak, who swam the final leg. Thirty-two years old, swimming this event for the third time in his third Olympics, had been on the 2000 and 2004 relay teams that had not won gold. Those two teams were the only two teams in over 50 years that had not come home with gold. By the time he dove into the pool last night, he was almost a full body length behind the French swimmer Bernard. He was still behind at the turn. But not wanting to go home without his gold, not wanting to disappoint his team, not wanting to be the reason that Phelps didn't make it to his goal of eight gold medals, he turned in the fastest time for a leg on this relay in history. He had never swum that fast. He probably didn't imagine that he could swim that fast. But he could imagine himself on that top step of the podium. He could imagine the faces of his teammates, and his country, if he didn't swim the race of his life. And he used all his training, all of his 20 years of experience in the pool, all of his heart and soul, and that 32-year-old body to make it happen.

You know, we won't all have the chance to make an impact in so many ways on a world stage. But we can have the same kind of impact with our families, friends, and co-workers. Sacrifice and determination and hard work is all you need. You may not get a gold medal for a reward. You may not even know the impact you have on someone elses life. But there will be an impact. There will be a reward. Never fear. I want that reward. Do you?