From the Sports Department – The Australian Spirit
Despite what you think about Australian breakdancer Raygun, there has been a wonderful story of team spirit that has come out of all the controversy. So let’s not focus on the breakdancing performance, but rather on the reaction of the rest of the Australian team.
This social media post on Facebook (grammar has been edited), highlighted the other side of the story and the perspective of our Aussie Olympians.
‘Read on to see what was learnt today after that closing ceremony in Paris. I’m as guilty as the majority of the world – even Adele stopped her concert to have a laugh at our b-girl Raygun’s performance.
Raygun could have taken the worldwide criticism two ways and some of it’s been brutal – she appears to have copped it on the chin and run with the kangaroo moves.
What’s impressed me the most is the way the Aussie Olympians have done what a lot of us couch spectators have not done – they supported her and got behind her.
Our most ever successful Olympics in history, the entire team of medallists, Olympic finalists, world record holders, national record holders, five time Olympians, flag bearers for our country – all in solidarity gave this Raygun a champion reception. She was escorted in to meet the rest of our team on top of the shoulders of one of our Olympic hero rowers and then through a guard of honour by our Olympic athletes who have excelled and made a country very proud to be Australian. Look at the smile on her face – look what these Olympians did for her, and I guess that’s why they are Olympians. They do things that us at home are not prepared to do in life.
Think about what they just did…
A team member of theirs just did the sprinkler in her trackies on the biggest world stage and has been the world’s punching bag for days online, but instead of letting her struggle alone these Australians got around this lady despite their own success and celebrations. They made Raygun feel like a winner, like a team mate, like family, like an AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIAN! Now that’s pretty cool and isn’t that what being Australian means to all of us? Picking up your mate when he falls over, helping someone who needs it not because it benefits you, just because you can help them?
These Aussie legends saw one of their own struggling and said ‘yeah naaaa’ not on our watch, and pulled together for her – the Golds and the medals and the finals and the effort are impressive in their events but when a group of Australians get together with no invested interest but just to ensure their team mate is all good, that is something for us on the couch to look at and be very proud of who we are as a Nation.
What a way to end our best ever Olympics! I got taught a great lesson from great Australians.’
– Lisa Filby
Director of Sport