The toxicity levels and pollution of Rio De Janeiro’s Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas has been a major concern leading up to the Rio Olympics because, well, Olympic rowers are expected to compete in that water.
It’s one of the many issues about these Games, but with Opening Ceremony on Aug. 5, athletes are coming to terms with the fact that they will have to row and compete through less-than-safe conditions.
In an essay for The Guardian, U.S. Olympic rower Megan Kalmoe addressed the water concerns head on, and she didn’t mince words.
Kalmoe wrote:
I will row through shit for you, America.
And I will do it gladly, and proudly, because rowing on this team in Rio is not something I’m afraid of, or going to complain about. I will do it, and I will defend fiercely the dignity of the people who are doing their best to make everyone happy while we are all guests in their beautiful country. I will do it, and I will try to discourage you from taking away even the tiniest bit of magic or excitement from a single one of my teammates who have earned this trip with their blood and sweat, and all of whom deserve to have a really positive experience in Rio.
She went on to say that this could have been avoided had Chicago done enough to earn the hosting rights.
And lest we forget, we had our chance to host the Olympics in 2016. Where were all of you critical crusaders then? Chicago needed you!
We wimped out on the Chicago bid and have whined about it ever since, but don’t worry: we will have our chance again in 2024 with the bid in Los Angeles. If you are so desperately concerned for your athletes and your team that you need to write snide, lazy things on the internet about Rio or Brazil to make yourself feel better; or if you feel angry or betrayed or frustrated by what’s about to happen in Rio because you genuinely believe the US would do a better job and be the perfect Olympic host, I suggest you channel some of that energy, or at the very least some funds, into the LA 2024 bid.
Great! Now that we have that cleared up, get behind us and and cheer your faces off. Put your rally caps on. Let’s pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Let’s go for the gold together. Pick your best cliché that will get you fired up to watch American athletes put their hearts and souls in to their performances in Rio in a few weeks, and when the urge strikes to comment on the poop, just go right ahead and keep it to yourself.
You can read the full essay here.
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