Editorial: Olympic heroes make us proud

In a little under six weeks we will all sit back and marvel in the incredible athletic feats of thousands of Olympians from around the world.

The London Olympics will bring together the world's fastest, fittest, talented and strongest in a battle to be the best and take home that elusive gold medal.

From our seats in front of the television we can enjoy their efforts and offer our support to all the athletes, particularly those who will be proudly wearing the Silver Fern.

As a small nation, the Olympics pose an Everest-like challenge for our athletes and only the truly great will succeed but that is no reason why we cannot hope and dream of their success.

In Saturday's Bay of Plenty Times Weekend we introduced you to the athletes who will be taking the Bay of Plenty to the sporting world.

These dozen heroes will hold a special place in our hearts and their efforts enjoyed even more because they are from our patch.

But these talented sportsmen and women have many people to thank for their place in the sporting world.

Any parent will know that there is no chance of a young athlete reaching the top without the unqualified support and encouragement of their parents.

From those early days of sporting interest, parents are always there with an encouraging word and ever-ready taxi service.

You only have to visit Fergusson Park or Blake Park on a cold Saturday morning in winter to see the next generation of sporting heroes strut their stuff on the field or court while their shivering parents attempt to keep warm on the sidelines.

It was fascinating to read about Rob and Michelle Flynn, the devoted parents of Black Sticks hockey player Gemma Flynn.

These two people know the time and financial commitment required to get their child to the top of her sporting field.

If Gemma comes home with any sort of medal, Rob and Michelle surely deserve a nice piece of it as well.

So when that Olympic flame is ignited at the end of July, lets all get behind our brave and determined Kiwi athletes and applaud their success in simply getting to London.

If they rise above the pack and are fortunate enough to bring home a medal, their feats should be the subject of much excitement.