The strength of character shown by Canadian athletes in China earns them something more valuable than medals - the respect of the nation

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With Olympic fever starting to pick up this week, many youngsters will inevitably start to dream of winning their own gold medal someday. While it is a worthy dream, and one we certainly shouldn't discourage, we must also examine the costs of obtaining these goals.

These Summer Games have been dominated by the Chinese and American athletes, many of whom have dedicated their adolescence to perfecting their performances. There are no proms, no hanging out at the mall with their friends, for these athletes.

In China, we hear tales of children scouted and selected for training at a very young age, whisked away to special athletic facilities, where they live, sleep, breathe their sport, away from the distractions of family or school.

Even the American Olympic hero, Michael Phelps has traded his youth for those eight gold medals. His coach's 14-year plan for him includes swimming seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, and started when he was 11.

While our own competitors have also made sacrifices in their determination to win the highest honour available to any athlete, rarely do we hear of such all-or-nothing approaches. While Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby began their hockey careers before they began Kindergarten, they were also given the chance to be children in between practices and games.

As Canadians, we have a reputation for being polite and laid back, something that is used to explain how we cam be so proud of fourth or even 12th place finishes, when our neighbours to the south may consider it a defeat.

It is not 'settling for less than the best' in our case, but recognizing something that America and China seem to have missed. What matters most, whether in sports, academics or the business world, is being able to step back and see your accomplishments for what they are, in a larger context.

The real Olympic heroes for Canada are the ones who have embraced the challenge of competing on the world stage, but have also built a life for themselves outside of competition. They are the ones with children of their own, the ones who have suffered the loss of a loved one, the ones who find time for academics in between sessions at the gym.

Like Jane Rumball, a rower with the Canadian women's 8s which placed fourth in the world, born in Fredericton and heading to medical school next month. Or Iain Brambell, who won a bronze medal in rowing (men's 4s) which may dangle over the bed of his two-year-old daughter.

Like Carol Huynh, a student at the University of Calgary, a first generation Canadian whose parents found refuge in B.C., and the reigning freestyle wrestling champion in her weight class. Or Rheal Cormier, the 41-year old pitcher from Moncton, who played with the Moncton Mets this season, and is the oldest baseball player at this year's Olympic Games.

Each of these athletes, and many of the other over 300 who travelled to Beijing to compete, has demonstrated that you can be successful, and have a life, too. That's something we can all be proud of.