My Love for the Underdog

I am a sucker for a feel-good sports movie. You know the kind. The ones with the rag tag athletes who reign victorious despite insurmountable odds and you end up crying in your popcorn over the beauty and determination of the human spirit. Yep. Those feel-good sports movies are kind of my jam. Despite the fact that I myself am not particularly athletic (understatement of the year), I can’t help but be drawn to them. I especially love it when the movie is one where the unlikely underdog comes out ahead and wins it for themselves or their team, because at the end of the day aren’t we all just a bunch of underdogs trying to get ahead? I say yes.

So of course, when I saw the trailer for the upcoming movie “Eddie the Eagle,” I knew it was going to be a movie for me. The story of a goofy kid with big dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete – despite a childhood physical disability or the fact that he is lacking in any clear, natural athletic ability. Eddie won’t let that stop him – determining that he will become Britain’s first Olympic ski jumper. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t come home with the gold (or how many bones he breaks in the process) – what matters is that he is willing to put himself out there and try in the name of achieving his dreams. Eddie seems to have a good sense of humor throughout in the midst of the ups and downs and setbacks of training and competing.

I also loved how supported Eddie seems to be by those around him – especially his mother, who never doubts his potential for making his dreams happen. In my own life my mom has always been my biggest supporter and while my dreams may not have been ones that were as unlikely as Eddie’s, there have definitely been a few that were more lofty than others. I remember the summer that I became obsessed with dreams of Olympic splendor myself. I was completely smitten with the Olympic gymnastics team and had dreams of becoming one of them. Despite the fact that I was a chubby, less-than-athletic child, she never discouraged my dream and cheered me on as I practiced endless one-handed cartwheels in our backyard all summer long. That dream was pretty short-lived, but no matter the dream throughout the years, my mom never doubted me and always encouraged me to take the steps to reach my goals and I hope that I can be that kind of mom to my kids as well. Even if they are lacking in natural talent, I never want to squelch their desire to try – though I may secretly hope that their dream doesn’t involve the possibility of so many broken bones!

If funny, feel-good sports movies are your jam too, be sure to check out the trailer and sign up for a free screening of the movie here!

Here’s to the underdog – always and forever!

xo

Lauren