While many remember the inspiring Olympic performances from greats such as Carl Lewis, Michael Phelps, and Kerri Strug, fans also cherish memories from watching Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team.
In PyeongChang, American born Elizabeth Swaney added to the proud tradition of less-than-competitive Olympians, representing Hungary in women's halfpipe skiing, by way of her grandparents.
If you have ever thought to yourself, "I could do that," while watching Olympians competing in extreme sports, there's a good chance you are in this instance.
There are restrictions on qualifying that aim to keep the quality of Olympic competition at a certain level. In freestyle skiing, part of this involves requiring a few top 30 finishes in World Cup events. Over the past few years, Swaney showed up at a number of events that featured less than 30 women, and managed to stay upright and finish her runs.
While a run like this is almost certain to prompt officials to tighten qualification rules, Swaney has said she hopes to inspire young people to try freestyle skiing, in Hungary and around the world.
What are your thoughts? Is this a scam or a story of perseverance worthy of a 30 for 30? I applaud Swaney for taking the time and initiative realize her Olympic dreams.