Despite the fact that I cannot skate, ski or shoot a rifle, I love the Winter Olympics. Their slogan is above — Swifter, Higher, Stronger. One of the things that seems sure is that there will be upsets; that the odds-on favorites will fail; and the best stories will come from people we’ve never heard of before. Sure, I love Apolo, and I figured Bode, Shaun and Lindsay would do just fine. But it was the stories below that really grabbed me.

Alexandre & Frederic Bilodeau. Alexandre won Canada’s first gold medal in this Olympics as his brother, who has cerebral palsy, went a little nuts in the stands. Alexandre repeatedly referred to his brother as his inspiration, saying that when he gets tired and wants to stop, he thinks of Frederic’s limitations, stops his whining and gets on with it. The 22-year-old skier upset the sullen Canadian ex-pat (and millionaire) Dale Begg-Smith, who ignored reporters and generally acted like a sulky brat while the gold medalist, clearly stunned with his win, tried to take in the fact that he was the first Canadian ever to win a gold medal on his nation’s soil. 

Chris DelBosco. In the wildly exciting ski cross race, Chris DelBosco, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, had the bronze medal in his grasp. With just one jump to go, he took a huge chance…and blew it. He fell. He lost. In an interview afterward, he said simply, “I didn’t want the bronze.” Nope. He put it all on the line, he was skiing for gold, and even though he failed, he gave it everything. Good for you, kid.

Marjan Kalhor. She is twenty-one years old, finished the giant slalom 35 seconds behind the gold medal time. She trains by skiing down grassy hills, and she wore a purple veil underneath her helmet to cover her hair. She is Iran’s first female winter Olympian.

The Night Train. In addition to being my favorite wine (well…not really), the Night Train is now my favorite bobsled team. Perhaps I love chubby, balding Steve Holcomb because he looks more like a kielbasa-eating champion than an Olympic gold medalist. Whatever the reason, I was absolutely elated at their win. Kudos to the good-natured German silver medal team, who called the American team’s driving “super-genius.”

And most of all…Therese Rochette. She drove her daughter to thousands of skating lessons, sat in the chilly rink for countless hours, sacrificed, scrimped and saved. She helped her child choose outfits and hair styles and music for her performances, made sure she ate well and did her homework. She knew with faith unshakeable that at the Vancouver Olympics, the world would see what she had always known — Joannie Rochette was a champion. She was right. Yu-Na Kim may have shown us the best of the sport, but Joannie showed us the best of the human spirit — the strength, grace, commitment and love she learned from her mother.

Swifter. Higher. Stronger.

Well done, Mrs. Rochette.