Gregory Burns

Journal

People, places, and events that inspire us

97 posts · 15+ years · 60 countries

2022 Beijing Olympics
Feb 2022 Journey

2022 Beijing Olympics

As the Olympic flame goes out in Beijing, I celebrate the men and woman who have raised the bar and our collective spirits. Complaining about the Olympics is an easy sport, as so poignantly highlighted in the 1910 speech of Theodore Roosevelt, “It is not the critic who counts… the credit belongs to the man […]

Read more →
Raising the Bar
Feb 2022 Journey

Raising the Bar

Facing tectonic shifts in emotion and fate, athletes competing in the Olympics experience extreme highs and lows as they dig deep at the pinnacle of sports. Minuscule mistakes divide the pack between those who achieve the podium and disappointment. Yet, win loose or draw, these athletes inspire the rest of us. We draw strength watching […]

Read more →
Fourth
Feb 2022 Journey

Fourth

Everybody loves a winner! The world showers gold and praise on those who come in first. Even the runner up receives silver and sponsorship deals. And we still cheer and bestow bronze on those who come in third. What then is left for fourth place? During my Paralympic swimming career, I had the pleasure and […]

Read more →
Aiming 4 Paris 2024
Sep 2021 Journey

Aiming 4 Paris 2024

The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have come and now gone. Despite the pandemic and empty venues, records were set and there was victory on and off the field of play. Athletes and organizers threw the kitchen sink into their efforts to outdo themselves once again. As the flag is now passed to the Mayor […]

Read more →