July 31, 2008

Prof: Olympics much more than athletic competitions

"Yes, the Olympic Games show us what human beings are capable of physically, but when we look at the history of the Games, we see that there is so much more," says William Harper, a professor of health and kinesiology who teaches a course on the ancient and modern Olympic Games. "Since the modern games were resurrected in 1896, athletes continue to overcome incredible obstacles. Decades ago some battled polio and other childhood diseases. Today, others deal with  injuries, poverty or the mental stress of years of competition.

"These stories are often filled with examples of persistence and hard work, and many of these lessons can be applied to nonathletic pursuits, such as striving for excellence in a career, or in other performing arts, such as music or dance."

The longevity of the Olympic Games also is just as inspiring, Harper says.

Originally, when the Olympics were held between warring Greek city-states in 700 B.C., the nations agreed to stop fighting for the duration of the games. Athletes and fans were granted safe passage traveling to and from the games. The Olympics ceased to exist in the fourth century A.D., but in 1896 a Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, revived them. Since then, there have been numerous boycotts, and the games were even cancelled during World War I and World War II. The more recent games have been scarred by drug abuse and scandals.

"Yet this still is the longest lasting and largest gathering of human beings for a peaceful purpose," Harper says. "Despite human foibles, commercialism and war, we keep them alive. Nothing compares to the Olympics."

The Olympics are Aug. 8-24 in Beijing.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: William Harper, (765) 494-3178, wharper@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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