Great Can be Human

THE GREAT CAN BE HUMAN

One of the most touching moments in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles came by surprise. It happened one night on prime-time television, after Jeff Blatnick of the United States defeated Thomas Johansson of Sweden for the gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.

When the match ended, Blatnick did not jump up and down. He did not make sweeping bows to the crowd. He simply dropped to his knees, crossed himself, bowed his head, and prayed.

When the camera zoomed in on his face, millions of viewers saw the torrent of tears pouring down Blatnick’s cheeks. Blatnick had every right to cry. But it wasn’t because he had taken the gold in an event the United States had never won before. There was a bigger reason: Two years before, Jeff Blatnick had contracted cancer. Eighteen months before the games, he had undergone surgery. And, now, in the face of great odds, he had won the second biggest battle of his life.

Jeff Blatnick became an instant hero, not because of his victory over Johansson, nor because of his victory over cancer, but because he shared his humanity with us. Suddenly the 220-pound giant was like us in a beautiful, touching way. His tears showed that after all he was human like all of us!