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The Olympics are now over and I must say that I was disappointed. Certainly not in the medal count of Team Canada and not in the efforts put forward by the athletes who represented our country. I was touched by the stories of athletes from other countries who overcame incredible barriers to simply compete at the Olympics, let alone win medals.
What really disappointed me was the commentary from the media that went on and on about how poorly the Canadians were doing in terms of medals. For me, this took away many of the other benefits of participating in such a unique event from those athletes who worked so hard and committed so much.
This Olympic story creates a couple of analogies for me. It reinforces that therapeutic recreation creates opportunities for the clients to reap benefits that they themselves define and success is not determined by the expectations of those observing.
The second analogy relates to MTRA and my own experience as president. There have been times when I have felt that MTRA is disappointing its members and the community by not meeting their expectations and this has, at times, limited my ability to focus on the benefits I receive personally from simply being a part of MTRA. It is so comforting to sit with the board of directors once a month and share in the enthusiasm for therapeutic recreation. It is encouraging to talk to different groups of people and gain a sense of a clearer understanding of tr as it is described. As I enter my third and final year as the president, I look forward to being on Team MTRA and reaping the benefits of this unique experience.
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