From a spectator on the couch, to an Olympian watching live!
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| Watching women's gymnastics at the Olympics LIVE! |
Today has been such an amazing day. I did my first hard workout since arriving in London, repeat 2k's again. They were slightly slower than in NY the other week but I can't complain because they are still at PR pace, and I did the workout completely solo! My legs felt great but my hips felt like I was missing the last gear to really boogie. Overall it's very encouraging because I have no doubt that now as I enter my taper that last gear with loosen up and be ready to go. After training I had a so so lunch but enjoyed the company of fellow Team USA athletes. It's always great meeting new people!
Then it was off to see Beth one of our massage therapist. She dug into my legs so deep on Saturday that I still have painful black and blues, but no pain no gain right. My range of motion improved tremendously after she beat them up so it was worth it. Today she really concentrated on digging in on my glutes and hip region and was a lot more gentle lower down on my legs, that it actually felt like a relaxing massage! So thankful to have access to her expertise while I'm here. It's this type of therapy, maintenance and prehab that really allows me to train and compete at this high of a level.
Then after my legs were good and flushed I headed out of the Village with Suitemate Lacy. Yesterday we had ventured out of the Village to see Women's Volleyball USA vd BRA and men's team gymnastics. The subway(tube/underground) station was very crowded but in my opinion no worse than the NYC subway during rush hour. We had to travel much further and go through a connection to get out to volleyball. Plus it was our first time traveling there which made it take longer because we weren't always 100% sure where we were going. Today was much easier, simpler, and shorter, not to mention that we allotted ourselves plenty of time to get there with out being stressed and rushed.
We had tickets to watch the Women's Team Gymnastic finals! So incredibly exciting! I always love watching the gymnastics on tv during the Olympics and today I was there in person watching it unfold flip after flip, stuck landing after landing all LIVE! Our seats were right near the uneven bars, which is my favorite event in women's gymnastics. I was able to watch all eight teams on the bars as well as the other apparatus. The crowd was loud and vibrant and there were plenty of Team USA supporters out there. I sat next to Lacy and we also met up with two of our 800m girls as well. We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience!
Once the competition was over the medalists were brought back out for the awards ceremony. Lacy, Alice (800m), and I all decided to stay. We were all talking about how amazing the experience was and all admitted that it was making us choke up. The Olympics have always been, are and will be magical and tonight we were apart of that magic as Olympians ourselves. Throughout the competition we kept referring to the Atlanta 1996 Olympiad and the Magnificent 7 in one way or another. I shared how it was that summer that I fell in love with the Olympics and where my Olympic Dream began. Lacy shared that 1996 was the first summer she had ever seen pole vault (her Olympic Event). Alice shared how she remembers watching those Olympics, hearing how young the gymnasts were and thinking, oh well I'm too old to ever make an Olympic Team. Wow, we all can remember being the spectator, sitting at home on the couch and wishing we were the ones competing. We had all never competed in our current Olympic Event at that moment in time, and now look at us, WE are Olympians!
It didn't happen over night, not even over another 4 year Olympic cycle. Several Olympiads had come and gone, still the spectator, always the dreamer. It took lots of training, it took lots of sacrifice. It took a lot of support! After admitting about how choked up this experience was making us, we immediately began talking about P&G "Thank you Mom!" commercials, because damn those commercials are moving! That too was something that all three of us shared, those moments when Mom was there for you all the little things, the packed lunches, chauffeuring to practices, cheering on the sidelines in the sun and the rain. Those moments, that support is what got us from being Olympic Aficionados on the couch in front of the TV to the Olympians out on the track! Thank you Mom, thank you Dad too! Thank you P&G for helping us thank them too!
It was fun sharing in this moment together, look how far all of us have come! This convo for sure will be one of those special moments from the Games that will last a lifetime. And guess what....that means that all you 8, 10, 12, 14 year old "kids" sitting at home, that too can be you! Dare to dream, dare to believe, because you too can Become!
Watch Maria Michta compete in the Olympics, Aug 11 @ 12 pm ET, 5pm London Time at NBC.
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Support our PhD Olympian, Maria Michta
Source
mariamichta.com
Top 10 Reasons to Attend Mount Sinai School of Medicine!
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Mount Sinai is a research powerhouse.
We were the first to describe Tay Sachs disease (1887), first to publish human blood compatibility antigens (1908), developed the first cystoscope for children (1911), invented the modern ophthalmoscope (1914), developed the first estrogen blood test (1926), performed the country's first kidney dialysis (1947), developed polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for separating proteins (1959), first to use sequential combination chemotherapy for breast, ovarian cancers (1962, 1963), mapped the influenza virus genome (1977), first direct evidence of the involvement of dopamine in schizophrenia (1985), first blood transfusion of an unborn fetus (1986), identified gene most commonly mutated in prostate cancer (2001), pioneered the use of enzyme replacement therapy by targeting Fabry disease (2003), performed first successful composite tracheal transplant (2005), linked Olig2 to schizophrenia (2006), the first to use adult stem cells to explore the genetic details of a specific inherited disease (LEOPARD syndrome, 2010),and dozens more. We have named many diseases. Come join us and create your own first.
Now is our time. We are the fastest growing research enterprise in New York and one of the fastest growing in the country. Mount Sinai now has America's third highest NIH funding per faculty among America’s 130 Medical Schools. With this success, it's no wonder we have the buzz as the new elite place to train.
Our research diversity. We have established departments and institutes devoted to excellence in neuroscience, microbiology, systems biology, genomics, stem cells, cancer biology, development, immunology, and many many more. What's your area of interest?
Our faculty. We are leaders in our fields and have brought in a new wave of elite faculty including internationally recognized leaders in neurobiology, stem cells, genomics, development, and immunology. You will train with the best.
Our students. We are proud to have created a community of learning, support, and excellence. We value our students' input on both the scientific and social structures needed to be a successful student. Come meet our remarkable student body.
Our diversity. At Mount Sinai we value diversity in our students and in our faculty. Reflecting the diversity of our beloved city, we embrace students from around the world. We are proud that 15% of our M.D/Ph.D. students consider themselves under-represented minorities, helping us to build a new and more diverse generation of scientists.
Our courses. We offer PhD students eight concentration areas tailored to reflect the strengths and priorities of modern biomedical science. We will structure your training to prepare you for the remarkable world of science.
Live in the world's greatest city. Dream of the Big City? Come train with us. Not sure about New York? Let us show you why it is the greatest city on earth- and the safest big city in America. Located on the Museum Mile in the Upper East Side and right next to Central Park, we have a ringside seat to the most astonishing collection of culture you will find. Anywhere. In a city that never sleeps. Warning: if you come here, you will never want to leave.
Dream big. Training at an elite Medical School in the heart of New York will inspire you. Be surrounded by the people who Dream Big and revolutionize the world in every sphere of society from fashion to art to music to finance. And science.
Achieve your dreams. Our graduates have populated many of the world's elite research institutions to do great science. If you want to take part in the magical world of science at its highest levels... then your dreams are our dreams.
