I have officially caught Olympic fever.  The bug has invaded our house and will be here to stay until the Closing Ceremonies wrap up on August 12th when the torch is passed to Rio de Janeiro, as they gear up for 2016.  Olympic Trials are on TV, Olympic apparel is in stores, and my admiration for Canadian Olympians has begun yet again…

Here are the 10 moments I am most looking forward to:

10.  Kayaker Adam Van Koeverden.  How can you not love this guy?  He’s from Oakville, is a 3-time Olympic medallist already, and he’s friends with a friend of mine, so the one degree of separation is working for me.  Go Adam!

9.  Weighlifting.  My foray into the world of Crossfit a couple of years ago has opened my eyes to the world of Olympic lifting.  The technique, power, and skill involved with Olympic lifts is magnificent to watch.

8.  Seeing Simon Whitfield race in the Triathlon.  Does anything else need to be said?

7.  Dara Torres.  Although Dara Torres is still 6 days away from the US Olympic Trials 50m Freestyle Final, her story is remarkable.  She is now 45 years old, and made history 4 years ago in Beijing by becoming the oldest Games competitor….and here she is 4 years later, giving it another go.  I will definitely be tuned in on Monday night to see if her dream of a 6th Olympics comes true.

6.  The marathon!  Running is my passion and a big part of who I am, so I am captivated with Olympic marathoners.  The women’s race happens on August 5th and the men’s on the 12th.  If only the half-marathon was an Olympic sport…

5.  Perdita Felicien.  Like Dara Torres, Perdita has not yet solidified an Olympic berth.  Her 100m Hurdles Final happens in Calgary on June 30th.  But how can you not cheer for her after the heartbreak of seeing her fall in Athens and miss Beijing due to injury?  Her perseverance and determination are inspiring.

4.  CTV coverage of the Games.  Love, love, love Canadian content.  I think CTV does an especially great job of showcasing the personal stories behind our Olympians.  (although I’ll be watching the NBC coverage of Swimming- can’t miss Rowdy Gaines’ commentary!)

3.  Hearing about the behind-the-scenes experiences from medical staff.  As a chiropractor with a special interest in sports injuries, I’ve had many friends placed on Medical Teams at the Olympics.  This year, I am so proud of Dr. Jenn Turner, who is working with the Canadian Track Cycling team.

2.  Seeing who carries Canada’s flag at the Opening Ceremonies.  My money’s on Clara Hughes, who will be competing in her SIXTH Olympic Games (3 Summer, 3 Winter) at the age of 39.  CBC has set up a poll for Canada’s flagbearer; vote here!

1.  The thing I am most looking forward to is the national pride that overcomes our country during the Olympic Games.  TV’s tuned to Olympic coverage pop up everywhere, Canada flags adorn cars and t-shirts, and we band together as Canadians to support our athletes.  I can’t wait.  GO CANADA!