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The Polio-stricken Swimmer
What kind of feelings one harbour when at the end of a long and arduous journey one achieves one's dream or when one's longstanding ambition is fulfilled? When at the end of hard work, exertion and struggle lasting for many years one achieves victory in the Olympic games and when at that moment of time the feelings, suppressed for a long time, burst into a torrent crossing all limits of human endurance? It often leads to the rolling down of tears from ones eyes ofcourse tears of happiness and not those of sorrow. It has been experienced that such people weep profusely, hiding their faces in their palms.
In the Melbourne Olympic games held in 1956, the women's 100 metres aquatic butterfly race was in progress. Every participant was supposed to cover a distance of 109 yards and 1 foot at the fastest possible speed to win the race. It was the first time in the history of the Olympic games that such a race was introduced in the women's category. The race was dominated by the American athletes from the beginning, so much so that all three medals of the race were won by the U.S. participants. Shelley Man got the gold, Nancy Ram obtained the silver and Mary Seers won the bronze. Shelley had set a new record and when she stood on the victory stand to receive the honours, she burst into wild tears.
The spectators in the stands naturally thought that her tears were those of happiness for winning the gold, but in
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