Parenting an Olympian: The Thrill and the Agony

Many people feel tense when watching the Olympics because there’s a sense of excitement and dread all at the same time. How will a favorite athlete or team do? Will they win or lose? Will they succeed wildly — or slip and fail? What will happen?

But if we as strangers struggle, imagine how those who are closest to the athletes feel. And if watching a game as even a Little League parent or soccer mom is nerve-wracking — imagine parenting an Olympian.

It’s usually Mom and Dad who yell the loudest and leap the highest when a child wins. They also cringe the hardest when their child … doesn’t.

Since the Olympics are roughly akin to the Super Bowl (of the entire world), the stress for athletes is difficult — but it can look absolutely crushing for the parents who have encouraged, funded, and dreamed their child’s dreams for years.

Ricky and Lynn Raisman (shown above in the article image) proved this again while watching 22-year-old daughter Aly tackle the uneven bars, her weakest event, during a qualifying gymnastics round in Rio. The video of the Raismans grimacing, cringing, and vicariously experiencing their daughter’s routine is hilarious and nerve-wracking — which is precisely why it went viral almost instantly.

[lz_third_party includes=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BisYoRrjpNs”]

Aly Raisman qualified and, after an expression of relief, her parents stood, clapped, and embraced. Lynn even high-fived someone.

Their first poignant yet funny display of nerves actually came while watching their daughter at the 2012 Olympics in London. And it seems it’s just as hard on them today.

After seeing that first video, Rick Raisman told People, “At first we don’t want her to know where we are in the stands, so we’re almost hiding. It’s just one of those moments. It’s just so magnified. Every single twist and turn. It’s just crazy.”

Lynn Raisman explained, “I get nervous because I know what goes into it and how many hours she’s prepared and how hard she is on herself, and I want her to be happy and go out there and do the best performance she can do … so I do get nervous. But whatever she was doing, I want her to have the best outcome.”

Related: Aly Raisman — Olympic Star, Leader, Role Model

Bert le Clos, father of South African swimmer Chad le Clos, told The Guardian he still hasn’t gotten his voice back after shouting during his son’s 2012 victory over Michael Phelps in the 200-meter butterfly. He said he “almost ate the woman” next to him when his son took the gold. “I grabbed her and picked her up. She got the shock of her life.”

Emotions run high for many sports spectators, but Olympian moms and dads have a double or triple whammy of passion. Factor in their child’s countless hours of practice, the potential retirement funds that are directed toward sports lessons instead, the endless carpooling and early morning meets, the injuries healed, the encouragement and consoling — and the many other ingredients that go into training an Olympian. That’s the inestimable sum of parents’ investment in their child’s goals.

Watching the hard work and emotion finally face the ultimate test is, naturally, a nail-biting experience. The tiny baby they brought home, cherished, nurtured, and loved unconditionally is now independent and at the top of their game — and simultaneously vulnerable to devastating defeat.

Most athletes truly appreciate the presence of Mom and Dad.

And no matter the result, it’s out of parents’ control.

Five-time Olympic wrestler Doug Yeats told Global News of his daughter Dory’s 2016 quest for wrestling gold in Rio: “It’s much more nerve-wracking watching your kids compete than it is doing it yourself. As an athlete you have some control over the outcome, but as a coach or a parent, it’s completely out of your hands.”

Despite parents’ helpless feelings, most athletes appreciate the presence of Mom and Dad. “I’m pretty zoned in, but I do know where my family and friends are sitting,” swimmer Conor Dwyer told NBC. “And it’s something special to look up in the stands and see people with Dwyer shirts that are supporting you, and whether you win or lose, they’ll have your back.”

That’s the thing. Parents are so important because, more often than not, they’ll have their Olympians’ back, win or lose. All the years of nurturing a child’s ambition has resulted in that singular moment when their son or daughter competes among the world’s very best to achieve a lifelong aspiration.

It’s the Olympics. Gold medal or not — they all still win in the long run.