Dear editor,

Jeff Moeller’s “Less luster on Olympics, but Games still worth watching” surely sparked conversation for us over our morning coffee.

More than likely we are in the minority as Americans, but every four years the Winter Olympics have been a huge highlight for us for decades (... often we don’t even know who is playing in the Super Bowl).

We find it so refreshing and a positive that there is almost no “superstar” status among Winter Olympic athletes. What there is, though, is an amazing story behind each and every one of passion, grit, sacrifice (including for the family) to realize their Olympic dream. The same is true for every athlete who trains for years but just misses making the Olympic team. For the small number who make a team, only a fraction receive medals, but for the rest of their lives, medal or not, each will be a true Olympian.

The personal stories behind the athletes are so uplifting. Women’s doubles luge made its Olympic debut. A very big deal. The USA Luge pair of Sophia Kirkby and Chevonne Forgan have worked so very hard to be there. Sophia, whose Dad died within the last two years, writes on her luge gloves his motivating text messages from her years of training. She also makes beautiful clay pins of each women’s sport to help support her journey by selling and trading. (Pin trading is a big thing at the Olympics.)

Local athletes are fun to follow. Summer Britcher of Glen Rock is now a 4-time Olympian, having first competed in Sochi in 2014. Jayson Terdiman of Berwick (now Lake Placid, NY) competed in Sochi and Pyeongchang. For the Nagano 1998 games every USA athlete wore a Duofold turtleneck with Olympic rings on the neck for the opening ceremony and received Duofold thermal underwear, all of which was manufactured at JE Morgan Knitting Mills in Tamaqua. Cool stuff!

Even if there are no “standouts” a Winter Olympian’s achievements, with no celebrity status or financial perks attached, place that person tiers above any Super Bowl player in our minds.

Janie & Bob Miller

New Ringgold