Aside from spending time with my family, my favorite part of December is the recap of amazing stories throughout the year. In this week’s Sports Illustrated, Sportsmen of the Year are celebrated, highlighting stories from 2014.

The notable stories from the Olympics includes biathlete Tracy Barnes qualifying for Team USA  only to give up her spot to her twin sister, Lanny. That’s a special kind of love.

Gold medalist Dario Cologna of Switzerland crossed the finish line of the cross country ski race only to wait another 28 minutes for 43 year old Roberto Carcelen of Peru, who finished last. Cologna hugged him at the finish line. Carcelen is only the 3rd winter Olympian from Peru and competed with broken ribs sustained during training a few days earlier.

Perhaps my favorite athlete from the Winter Olympics was Team USA Luger Kate Hansen, who danced uninhibitedly to jams on her iPod. She tuned out the world, even while being filmed, and just danced. We should all dance like her.

Sportsmanship was perhaps best exemplified by the Oak Harbor HS football team, forfeiting the championship game to their arch-rival, Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawks. Marysville-Pilchuck school suffered a horrible tragedy, with a student opening fire in the cafeteria, shooting 5 kids, killing 4 of those, then shooting himself. The Oak Harbor team showed dignity and compassion rarely exhibited in competitive sports, especially in a championship game of high school football. Those boys and coaches are earth angels.

The ALS challenge. Who knew that a bucket of ice water would aide in awareness of a disease like nothing before? Thanks to John Frates, millions of people had cold chills and wet pants.

Stories of inspiration, where blessings can occur under extreme circumstances, or perhaps just a 13 year old, determined to improve his basketball game in Queens by shoveling away the snow off a court. He couldn’t wait for the snow to melt.

I love reading these stories of triumph, of courage, and of perseverance. These are worth reading over and over, enjoying the highs, looking for blessings in every situation, and keep on keeping on.

Perhaps my favorite story of 2014 is a little closer to home. The Fishers HS Lady Tigers, with my daughter as one of the goalkeepers, led a team all the way to the state finals, winning the state championship and finishing #1 in the final MaxPreps National rankings!!!!! Go Tigers!

Fishers High School is in a class all to themselves. The school spirit is incredible. The student support, the fans – it has been an amazing four years for our family, and to wrap up a high school experience on top like that is simply amazing. The school is 8 years old…incredible! or as my youngest says frequently, who likes quotes from The Princess Bride, “That’s INCONCEIVABLE!” And we aren’t done with FHS – we will have a freshman there next fall and another is coming down the pike! :o)

I wonder what amazing stories await us in 2015?