Go big or go home. In many ways that phrase describes the American presence at the Summer Olympics in Rio. Amassing a total of 121 medals overall, 46 of them gold, the performance of Team USA was one of the “biggest” in recent Olympic history. Michael Phelps, predictably, won five Gold Medals. The American women were a force all their own, with Simone Biles picking up five medals in gymnastics, and swimmer Katie Ledecky winning another five and setting a new world record.
Sadly, that same spirit of “Go big or go home,” was equally applicable in extracurricular activities. Ryan Lochte’s fictional account of being robbed at gunpoint proved to be a tremendous embarrassment for the U.S. In fact, he and his teammates had simply been out drinking all night and had been the aggressors in an epic battle with a local public bathroom.
Yet the defining moment for Team USA came during the women’s 5,000-meter heat. Following a tragic collision mid-race, two runners fell to the ground injured.
Abbey D’Agostino of the United States got back on her feet, then turned to assist fellow runner Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand, helping her up and encouraging her to finish the race. D’Agostino, of course, did not win a medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Leaving behind thoughts of individual glory, she focused instead on another human person in need of help. Her self-forgetfulness captured the hearts of millions. When D’Agostino went to Rio this summer, she went big. And then she went home.
