It is a major sporting event that I have always followed during my student days. Even now; I still make it a point to watch my favourite swimming and track events whenever possible. It is kind a sad being a Singaporean during the Games because we have not had any realistic medal hopes to cheer for in ages. But the spirit of the Games is infectious and it is hard not to get caught up in the fever of the Games with super-hyped match-ups like Carl Lewis versus Ben Johnson (yeah, I am that old)and more recently, the Race of the Centuryin Athens 2004 between Thorpe, Phelps,Van den Hoogenband and Hackett.

The Spirit of Competition

One of the most inspiring aspects of the Games is the total, unequivocal celebration of the spirit of competition. It pushes athletes to break through their personal boundaries, makes normal human beings achieve superhuman feats. You just can't help getting high to see previous records being smashed and sporting history being written before your very eyes. This is reality TV on steroids. This is competition at its best.

I often hear students label others as muggers, kiasu. I even see a number go as far as to outdo one another at doing nothing. They should watch the Olympics and learn this important lesson: there is nothing wrong with competition. In fact, it should be taken in the correct spirit and celebrated rightfully. Perhaps, some of them will stop wasting their lives away.

Competition often goes beyond winning. In a swimming heat years ago, I remembered this participant who was one full lap behind everybody else and the first thought that flashed across my mind was; loser. While waiting for him to complete his lap, the commentator casually mentioned that there was only 1 Olympic-sized pool in his entire country. In that instant, he became a champion to me.

And we don't have to look too far to see champions around us. Two years ago, I had a student with congenital deformities of his fingers. He had problems holding the pen properly and writing was a real struggle. Yet, in the two years that he was taking Chemistry lessons from me, I never once saw him letting the handicap get the better of him. Once, during a mock exam practice session, I unwittingly told him off for being too slow. He just smiled and replied, "I would try to be faster next time." The toughest person to compete against is most often you. Doing it makes him a champion and he duly delivered a distinction for his Chemistry.

The Pursuit for Perfection

I always find it amazing that untrained folks like me who knows next to nothing about triple somersaults and double twists can "guess", with a relatively high degree of accuracy, the scores awarded to gymnasts and divers for their performance.

I suspect appreciating a perfect execution is an innate, universal ability.

Unfortunately, for the vast majority, perfection is often a standard held up only for others to achieve. Many would not mind to be perfect, if it were gift-wrapped and handed to them on a silver platter.

However, once it involves consistent hard work, the list of excuses for not being able to achieve it is endless. Giving up is always the path of least resistance.

Too often, halfway through the explanation of a more complex concept, some joker in class will blurt things out like "Wah, so difficult ah .. .if this comes out in exam, I sure skip." But as the saying goes, "If you aim for mediocrity, you are sure to get it". In a world where the majority buys into three-day life transformation courses, it is definitely a refreshing change to see athletes commit years of their lives preparing for a competition that comes once every four years. These are role models who walk the talk and truly make the pursuit of perfection a part of their daily lives.

Bring on the Games, I say. Let us salute the true spirit of competition and perfection.