Figure skater in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics loses her mother, but finds her strength.

To be an Olympic athlete is a tremendous feat in and of itself. The hard work, sacrifice and commitment are second to none. So how does one find greatness in a moment of grief? That is a question Joannie Rochette can answer.

Many time figure skating medalist, Joannie Rochette, lost her mother two days before a flawless performance on February 23 at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Most people can’t imagine what it would be like to make it to the Olympics. Being on a stage for the whole world to see, many would crack under the pressure. Imagine it’s in your home town and you are representing your country and tragedy strikes.

Joannie’s mother died of a massive heart attack on Sunday, February 21.  Joannie is set to skate her short program just two days later, and pulled it off flawlessly. This young woman is an example for the world to follow.  She made a choice to go out onto the ice, do her best and make her mother proud. This is a moment we could all learn from.

We all have pressures; we all have things on our mind. However, most of us don’t have to perform on a stage that will be seen by millions of people across the globe. Joannie Rochette found the strength and determination to give the performance of a lifetime.  She is currently in third place, but  is in first in our hearts.

May we all take this young athletes triumph as an example to demonstrate that we can all find our greatness, even in the most difficult moments.

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