During the Olympic games I always stand in awe of the athletes who have found the courage to follow their passions and publicly push themselves beyond what most of us could ever imagine. Their dedication and discipline are amazing. Some of the personal stories behind these athletes are even more amazing.

For example, we've heard stories about some of the members of the gymnastics team from China, taken from their families at a very early age -- as early as age three -- to live in a boarding school for gymnasts. Family reunions took place only twice a year. Their years of sacrifice, dedication and discipline prepared them to become the world-class athletes they are today…and to take the team gold medal!

And there's Laura Wilkinson, who ended China's 16-year dominance of the Olympic women's platform diving event and became the first American in 36 years to win gold in women's diving. But what's most amazing is that in March, Wilkinson broke three bones in her right foot, preventing her from practicing her full list of dives for seven weeks. During this recuperation period she used visualization and mental training techniques to practice her dives. Just three weeks before trials she was able to resume her physical training routine.

The Olympic games, however, have not just been about winning medals, but about courage and greatness. Eric Moussambani from Equatorial Guinea was one of those individuals. Unlike most Olympic athletes, Moussambani has not dedicated his life to training as a swimmer. He did not even learn how to swim until nine months ago. His training pool was the ocean, where he had to swim with the sharks. Moussambani came to Sydney with a focus on "doing something" for himself and his country. He was one of only four representatives in the Sydney Olympics from his small nation in Africa. When it was time to begin the race of his life in the 100-meter freestyle, the official said the standard "Take your marks," and the two other swimmers in his heat false-started. Moussambani was the only swimmer left. Suffering from a sore shoulder, Moussambani struggled slowly for the last several meters of his solo race against himself and the clock. The Australian crowd went wild as they cheered him on to the finish. His determination prevailed, and he finished with an Olympic all-time slowest record of 1:52.72. Moussambani got out of the pool with something just as important as a medal -- an Olympic memory.