Some of them may be as famous as football stars. Others are hard working gritty champions. Others simply compete and aim to do their best. Others know they have no chance, but show courage and determination in merely competing.

We are talking about each and every person that competed in the Olympics. All too often, society’s perceptions of role models and who to look up to are skewed. In today’s society, younger generations look up to football stars, actors, models, musicians and the like. It has been the same for decades. This is not to say that there are no good role models to be found in the above mentioned group – you find good and bad in everything.

But in a world dominated by marketing and advertising, it is often all too easy to forget about the real champions in our midst. Olympians sacrifice so much to be who they are. They train hard every day, hold down jobs and some also raise families. There are accountants, firemen, runners, teachers, clerks and people from all manner of life who do it. Some are young, training hard in their university years and getting a sponsorship to represent their country on the biggest world stages. But the vast majority are just normal people. Normal people who do everyday things in everyday life, but push themselves further.

Aside from eating well, exercising and training, these people go the extra mile by, as we said, holding down steady jobs and raising family, in some cases. It is a truly remarkable sort of person who becomes an Olympian.

We only have to look at some of the more interesting characters that have taken part in the Olympics over the years to see that courage and determination. The number one would have to be South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius. A man who has overcome all odds to become a runner, despite having both his legs amputated below the knee before he could even walk. Oscar ran and is still to run in the 4x400 relay final (at the time of writing). He has inspired thousands of amputees to walk on carbon blades – whatever the outcome, he is a true champion and a darn nice fellow too.

What of Hamadou Djibo Issaka, crawling to the finish in last place in a single sculls? Spectators and the announcer roared him over the finish line. Djibo Issaka is 35 years old and from Niger, in West Africa. He shouldn’t really be at the Olympics – he learned how to row only three months ago and has a technique that was learnt on row boats. He finished nearly one minute 40 seconds behind the race winner, but received one of the biggest rounds of applause of the day.

What of the Saudi female participants, the judoka and the runners? What of Eric the eel in Sydney? What of Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards in the Winter Olympics in Calgary? They are all champions. And we must also not forget our own Maltese athletes. With limited funding and training opportunities, we had runners, swimmers and a shooter taking part in the biggest mixed sport stage that the world has to offer.

Each and every participant should be proud. Each and every nation should be proud of their athletes. These are true role models.