They may not be the star athletes of the Olympics but each one of them has an amazing story to tell. They all share in the passion of the Olympic games. This passion makes it possible for each of them to keep on going, keeping their dreams alive, no matter what sort of challenges they face.
Read their blogs, follow them on twitter, and become fans on each of their facebook fan pages! ski like a girl has. Follow the journey of these great athletes as they prepare for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
xoxo,
ski girl
p.s. Please post messages for the athletes in the comments and I will make sure and pass them on.
Watch video of Cross Country Skier, Robel Teklemariam carrying the flag for Ethiopia in the Parade of Athletes at the Turino 2006 Winter Olympics. As the solo member of the Ethiopian Ski Team, will Robel be carrying the flag again in Vancouver? Robel didn't just make the Ethiopian Olympic team he created.
From an Interview with Club Med Insider: "In 2006, you were chosen to carry the Ethiopian flag in the opening ceremonies; tell us what that experience was like for you. "
"Honestly it was surreal. It took me several months before it hit me. There is no greater honor in sports."
Robel's Ethiopian team isn't the first to represent Africa in the Winter Olympics. South Africa first sent a group of figure skaters in 1960. Senegal made its first appearance in the Winter Olympics in 1984 and Kenya did so in 1998. Algeria premiered its first Winter Olympic Team in 2006 with a cross country skier and downhill skier. Along with Ethiopia's debut at Torino in 2006.
Join in Robel's Olympic journey by following his blog at Panasonic's One Winter, Five Dreams. ski like a girl will be sharing in the passion and excitement as the countdown to the Olympic Games continues. Only 14 days until the Opening Ceremony and we can once again cheer on Robel as he inspires the world.
My little ski princess has been following my bloggin' activities with as much interest as you'd expect from a 10 year old. Uh, not a lot.
Most of it has been, "Mom, are you still writing cuz I need my laptop to check on my FarmVille". "And the ever popular "Are you done yet?" And my favorite "You said 5 minutes and it's been like 20".
(Yes, she has a laptop and I don't! And yes, I have to "borrow" it to write blog posts. That's the kind of quality parenting going on around here.)
So I was very surprised and a little touched when she came up with the idea of asking her friends at school to write messages to the Panasonic One Winter, Five Dreams athletes. She can be a sweet kid! (When she wants to be.)
From some of the 4th and 5th graders at Forest Park Elementary.
Good Luck! YOU CAN DO IT! -Morgan
-good luck! make sure you do your best and go for it! -Madison :)
Good luck! I know you'll do awesomely! Sarah
I hope you guys get into the Olympics. :) Jessica
Good Luck! Siena
I hope you guys get into the Winter Olympics !!! Zoe
U CAN DO IT! Emma
hi -Anna
Good luck! Hope you guys get in! Daae
I hope you do good! -Lizzie
Hi I hope you make it, Ava
You guys will do amazing. Emily
You guys go! Tyler
You Rock! -Nina
From the mouths of babes, right? So Clyde, Robel, Tugba, Kazuhiro, and Katharine: YOU ROCK!
xoxo,
ski girl
p.s. Hopefully I will be in Vancouver to share more of the love. Only 1 day left to enter Panasonic's One Winter, Five Dreams Gold Blogger contest.ski like a girl has entered! Share in the passion and excitement of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games!
I'm expecting he'll have one out soon for Tugba Karademir, the Figure skater from Turkey who is also heading to the games. But there is one athlete from the Panasonic's One Winter, Five Dreams project that won't be competing in the Olympics this year. And her story is far from over.
I have to admit before I got involved in this project I didn't really know what Skeleton racing was but now I have a whole new respect for the athletes and the sport. And late last night when I found myself glued to the TV watching the recent Men's Skeleton World Cup from Austria, I knew I was hooked.
10. She is an amazing athlete and should have more fans!
9. She trains hard.
8. She needs some ideas for dinner.
7. She's gracious and humble.
6. She flies down an icy track at crazy speeds reaching 70 miles an hour
5. Face first...
4. With no brakes!
3. She makes sparks!
2. Her story isn't over yet!
And the number ONE reason you should become Katharine Eustace's fan on facebook is
1. She is already thinking about Sochi in 2014! She'll have 4 more years of experience. And with Kazuhiro Koshi and Clyde Getty as examples she won't be getting older, she'll be getting better!
The goal of Panasonic's One Winter, Five Dreams project is to bring a group of lesser known Olympic hopefuls together with bloggers around the world. The goal of the bloggers is to draw attention to each of the athletes. To support them and cheer them on as they work towards achieving their Olympic dreams. To open the world's eyes and hearts to their struggles, hardships, and ultimate success' of each these athletes.
Robel Telkelmariam may have started out as on unknown but he is far from unknown now. He may be considered a one man show. The sole member of the Ethiopian Ski Team but he is far from alone. Thanks to Panasonic's One Winter, Five Dreams project Robel has the support of world behind him now.
How it all began:
Robel moved to New York City from Ethiopia at age 8. When he is 12 his mother is transferred to North Korea and Robel in enrolled in a boarding school in upstate New York. It is here near Lake Placid, that he is introduced to a new sport. One of the graduation requirements was that everyone had to learn how to ski. Robel was intrigued by skiing from the start. His coach says, " He just dived into it fully and spent really every waking moment that he could skiing." Robel continues to ski, earning a scholarship to the University of New Hampshire. He knew he was capable of competing at an Olympic level but his country had no winter Olympics committee, no ski team. After a 3 year effort Robel successfully establishes a Skiing Federation in Ethiopia.
Check out this New York Times video interview before 2006 Olympics.
Is he going for the Gold?
Robel's not in it for the medal but to show that anything is possible. He is skiing for the future of his country. Robel says it's,"for that one kid that is possibly going to see him skiing for Ethiopia and get inspired. Maybe that's the kid that will bring back the medal for Ethiopia."
Robel doesn't want to be the last Ethiopian to compete in the Winter Olympics. He hopes that there will be more and more Ethiopians competing for the gold. Robel has opened the door for other Ethiopians interested in skiing.
"Endurance sports are what Ethiopians are good at we are born and raised at high altitude. I think if you get an Ethiopian that starts cross country ski racing when he's young, you know maybe 8, 9 years old I really don't see any reason why they cannot be winning medals."
How can you help?
Go to Robel's blog at One Winter, Five Dreams take a few moments to read through the comments. You will find, like I have that Robel isn't just skiing to inspire that kid back in Ethiopia, he is skiing for the world. He has supporters from Canada, United States, New Zealand, and Sweden. If you check his facebook fan page you will find more of his international appeal.
Robel says.
"Thank you all so much for your support. I guess I am not just skiing just for Ethiopia anymore. I will have to be skiing for all of you as well. You best wishes drive me even harder in my trainings so I can get a better result at the Games."
| His fans include family member, former ski student, soccer buddies, and people from around the world who are inspired by his story. His dedication to his sport, and his country has lead to a world wide base of fans that are following his story all the way to Vancouver. Please join in and support Robel as he makes his Olympic dreams come true. Follow his blog, become a facebook fan, and share your messages of support and encouragement.
Remember Robel is skiing for the world! Join ski like a girl in cheering him on as he creates history.
xoxo,
ski girl
p.s.It's not too late to win a trip to the Olympics. Only 3 days left to enter. Panasonic's One Winter, Five Dreams Gold Blogger contest.ski like a girl has entered! Share in the passion and excitement of the 2010 Winter games!
Enter for your chance to win a trip to the Winter Olympics.
Only 8 days left to enter
Panasonic's One Winter, Five Dreams brings our attention to five lesser known athletes who all share the common dream of making it to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Bloggers from around the world have the opportunity to spread the word about the five athletes, share their inspiring stories, and cheer them on as the opening ceremony of games draws near.
The featured athletes are:
Gold Blogger:
From the Panasonic One Winter, Five Dreams athletes blog:
Bloggers around the world who would like to see the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, please give us a hand! A Gold Blogger will be selected from users who have posted heart-warming messages on the blogs （of any of these 5 athletes）, or who have supported these athletes through their blogging and/or other social media activities. The selected “Gold Blogger” will be sent to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games to represent the online supporters by blogging about the athletes’ activities and competitive performances. The Gold Blogger will also deliver the online messages from the participators of the site to the athletes (subject to the conditions at the location). Your voices of support will encourage the athletes in their pursuit of their dreams and lead them to victory. So let’s share their passion!
xoxo,
ski girl aka gold blogger (fingers crossed)
p.s. You know I have entered. Check out my posts at ski like a girl for more information on the One Winter, Five Dreams athletes. And help me cheer them on!
Robel Teklemariam Ethopian Men's Cross Country Skier has Qualified for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics! His search for snow paid off and he can now focus on making his Olympic dreams come true.
The lack of snow made racing difficult for Robel. This is from his blog at "One Winter, Five Dreams, "It has been my biggest frustration so far this winter. I just want to qualify but to do that I need to race. So it seems this has been a search for races as much as points to qualify for me. I lost out on five races because of snow conditions. Now time is running short."
Congratulations Robel, you found your snow and you did it!!!!
Robel is the second of the Panasonic's "One Winter, Five Dreams" athletes to qualify for the Vanouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Ladie's Figure Skater, Tugba Karademir, qualified in early in the season for Turkey's team and then had to deal with the disappointment that her parents couldn't get tickets to watch her compete. They now have tickets thanks to a generous donation by an anonymous corporation.
With less than a month away two of the athletes are qualified leaving three to go.
Clyde Getty, Argentina's Freestyle Skier is in Deer Valley this weekend. He says, "Deer Valley, Utah is most likely the World Cup Freestyle tour athletes favorite spot". Clyde qualified for the 2002 Winter Games there. If I'm reading the schedule correctly he's competing tonight at 5:45 with the finals at 8:25. If you are in the area head over to the Visa Freestyle International World Cup. Best of luck Clyde! You've got that triple!
Katharine Eustace came in 7th in her most recent Women's Skeleton race and has one more chance to earn points toward the second New Zealand sled.
And Japan's Kazuhiro Koshi, age 45, is still competing against the young guys in Men's Skeleton.
xoxo,
ski girl
p.s. Shouldn't there be a decision about the Gold Blogger finalists soon? I read on a press release that the finalist would be notified today!!! Wish me luck.
"The five athletes we have chosen to introduce here have overcome a variety of adverse circumstances in seeking the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games. They may not be “star” athletes, but like every Olympic contender they have a dramatic story to tell. About having meager finances and putting one’s entire resources intro training. About battling the barrier of an aging body before even beginning to face one’s rivals in sport. About going to the Olympic Winter Games from a country without snowfall. And like every athlete who aims for the Olympic Games, they each cherish a special dream in their hearts. It is the strength to believe in one’s dream that makes it possible to keep on trying and overcome all types of adversity. We want to put these athletes in the spotlight and share their dreams and passion for Olympic competition. Please add your comments to their blogs. Your voice of encouragement will cheer them on to pursue their dreams of Olympic gold. It will help them stay energized, motivated and focused on winning. In this way, you can participate in the human drama of making dreams come true and the thrill of victory. The Olympic Games are a magnificent stage where athletes and their supporters from around the world can celebrate sports together regardless of national borders and cultural differences."
What would it feel like to be the only skier on your ski team? The only skier from your country? Robel Teklemariam is a skier who understands this. He was the only skier who represented Ethiopia at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics. He was the first athlete to represent Ethiopia in any event at the Winter Olympics. Although he has lived in the United States since the age of 9, he has founded and heads the Ethiopian Ski Association. Robel Teklemariam believes that, if given the opportunity, Ethiopian athletes can become future gold medalists in the Winter Olympics.
Robel said of the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, "I'm a realist. My goals are for further down the road. I want this Olympics to open my eyes and hopefully the eyes of other Ethiopians." Although he did not get his ticket to the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics he continues to work towards his dream. Robel believes that "nothing is impossible. I continue telling myself to strive until my dreams come true. No matter how long it may take." Once again in 2010 Robel is going solo to the Winter Olympics please join ski like a girl in supporting Robel's Olympic dreams!
Check out Robel's blog and share you words of support and encouragement as he continues to focus on his dream. And wish me luck in my dream of becoming the Gold Blogger so I can go to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and continue cheering on all the amazing athletes.
"Panasonic also is conducting a global campaign to select a "Gold Blogger" from among the general web users who share Panasonic's passion and help promote the blog, through their blogging and/or other social media activities. Panasonic will provide a place for the Gold Blogger to exhibit his/her skills. The selected Gold Blogger will be sent to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games to cheer for the athletes and blog about the athletes' activities and competitive performances. The Gold Blogger will represent all who wrote support messages on the website and hand deliver these messages to the athletes. Roundtrip airfare, local accommodation and Game tickets will be provided by Panasonic Corporation!!!"
"Bloggers around the world who would like to see the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, please give us a hand! A Gold Blogger will be selected from users who have posted heart-warming messages on the blogs （of any of these 5 athletes）, or who have supported these athletes through their blogging and/or other social media activities. The selected “Gold Blogger” will be sent to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games to represent the online supporters by blogging about the athletes’ activities and competitive performances. The Gold Blogger will also deliver the online messages from the participators of the site to the athletes (subject to the conditions at the location). Your voices of support will encourage the athletes in their pursuit of their dreams and lead them to victory. So let’s share their passion!"
"The five athletes we have chosen to introduce here have overcome a variety of adverse circumstances in seeking the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games. They may not be “star” athletes, but like every Olympic contender they have a dramatic story to tell. About having meager finances and putting one’s entire resources intro training. About battling the barrier of an aging body before even beginning to face one’s rivals in sport. About going to the Olympic Winter Games from a country without snowfall. And like every athlete who aims for the Olympic Games, they each cherish a special dream in their hearts. It is the strength to believe in one’s dream that makes it possible to keep on trying and overcome all types of adversity. We want to put these athletes in the spotlight and share their dreams and passion for Olympic competition. Please add your comments to their blogs. Your voice of encouragement will cheer them on to pursue their dreams of Olympic gold. It will help them stay energized, motivated and focused on winning. In this way, you can participate in the human drama of making dreams come true and the thrill of victory. The Olympic Games are a magnificent stage where athletes and their supporters from around the world can celebrate sports together regardless of national borders and cultural differences."
Of course I'm entering the contest! It's a way for me to stop feeling sorry for myself and my inability to ski right now. (Refer to the post ski like a girl why am I smiling?). It gives me a chance to focus on someone else and give them much needed support and attention as they participate in something truly amazing the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. These five may not be the stars of the games but to me they are already winners. Best of luck to you all and I will continue to post and support each of you.
xoxo, ski girl p.s. Check back for more on each of these outstanding athletes!
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