Something on the lighter side…I’ve kicked back and enjoyed the past few days of the Olympic Games because unlike many of you out there I dislike the Reality TV World and I find it interesting to see the physical and mental discipline of athletes who are at the top of their game for “5 minutes” of fame.
Of course there is no lack of political baggage that comes with the Olympics from the Tibetan advocates to China’s human rights record.
But, speaking of the physical discipline there is no one drawing more attention inside or outside the Olympics for that matter than swimmer Amanda Beard. She recently picked up a Ducati Monster motorcycle and told Sports Illustrated that she likes long motorcycle rides with brief stops at different swim clubs while doing clinics for kids.
Amanda might be a motorcycle riding compassionate U.S. Olympic athlete, but she’s received a lot of notoriety with an anti-fur ad she did-naked-for PETA. She took time from her busy training schedule to bare her skin to help save animals’ skins – all in the interest to raise awareness of the cruelty inherent in the fur industry.
There are many people who don’t like it, don’t appreciate it, feel like she’s ruining the sport or giving female athletes a bad name and I’m sure there are just as many who love it, and feel like it brings more attention to swimming. Say what you will about the anti-fur ad — Amanda is a top tier athlete with accomplishments to date being:
OLYMPIC MEDALS
Gold 1996 Atlanta 4x100m medley relay
Silver 1996 Atlanta 100 m breaststroke
Silver 1996 Atlanta 200 m breaststroke
Bronze 2000 Sydney 200 m breaststroke
Gold 2004 Athens 200 m breaststroke
Silver 2004 Athens 200 m individual medley
Silver 2004 Athens 4×100 m medley relay
With China hosting the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, the ad may have come at just the right time. An investigation into the fur industry in China-states they supply more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in the U.S. Of course the cruelty of the fur industry does not end at the borders of China.
So those of you who had enough spectator badminton, synchronized swimming, ping pong, and trampoline—all which should, of course, be performed in the nude you can send your “Olympic Moment” petition to his Excellency Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong and state you’d rather go naked with, I mean like Amanda than wear fur.
What about leather riding gear? I’m conflicted on this one. There is a lot more info at the Cows R Cool web site which offers up synthetic “skin-free” alternatives.
Check it out.
Updated: August 14th 17:10 PDT – LA Times is reporting that the US Team Captain failed to advance out of the prelim’s. She didn’t even make it out of the heats finishing 18th with 2 min and 27.70 sec. Maybe she was too distracted in “pressing-the-flesh” for her cause? Most unfortunate.
Photo courtesy PETA