With the Olympics having wrapped up this past week, several young athletes have had the chance to represent their country, some of whom earned a medal. The youngest of these was 15-year-old Alina Zagitova in figure skating. From the U.S. 17-year-old Red Gerard won the gold in Men’s slopestyle.

“Seeing 17-year-olds winning gold medals at the Olympics really inspires me to work even harder,” junior Ty Caswell said. “When I see that, it makes me want to be in that position and it shows that it can be achieved by anyone through hard work.”

Caswell has already been honored through basketball, being placed on the varsity team since his freshman year and now becoming a leader on the court. It’s not just Caswell striving to work harder because of the Olympians, but many others see a goal through these athletes.

“My favorite part of watching the Olympics is seeing athletes that have walked in my shoes with my particular sport,” junior Meredith Fisher said. “It helps me to see progress and gives me something to work towards.”

Several years ago, Fisher tried out for the Junior national Olympic team and was an alternate for the USA training team camp in Colorado Springs.

“I relate to them because I was up with a bunch of amazing athletes that could likely go on to be in the Olympics, so seeing the undeniable talent was so cool,” Fisher said.

Even when many sports are in the offseason, these Olympics remind athletes of the importance of hard work.

“Just seeing people whose hard work has paid off inspires me to want to be the best I can be and improve every practice,” Browning said.

While many, like Browning, focus on hard work and dedication, they aren’t necessarily the only aspects of athletics.

“To make a champion it always takes hard work and dedication, but also a love for a sport that outweighs other people’s drive, because you always have to work harder than someone else to get there,” Fisher said.