This white man was watching the Olympics last night when confronted by the largest athletes of the games, the 105+ kg super heavyweights in the weightlifting competition. After the usual posturing of the big boys with their grunts, groans and gutteral growls, the competition came down to one last lift for gold. Matthias Steiner, from Germany lifted 258 kg, slightly less than the usual weight of a baby grand piano, to claim the gold medal in stunning fashion. And with that victory he claims the mantle of strongest athlete at the Olympics, if not, the world! But true strength isn't simply what it appears to be for Matthias Steiner. The true strength of this Teutonic warrior isn't the size of his trunk-like arms and legs but the measure of his brave spirit and giant heart. His strength, his motivation to lift higher and stronger than ever before lay serenely in his calloused hands at the Olympic medal ceremony. There, a photo of his late wife Susann, who was tragically killed in a car accident 13 months ago in July 2007. That is true strength! It is the will to conquer the blackest of adversaries, grief and death, and purposefully stride out of that dark valley into the victory of living life. There are many great athletic performances at the Olympic Games but yet again, it is the stories beneath the gold moments that are the real inspirations. And Matthias Steiner, you have proven to the world again that life always conquers death. Bravo!
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