Since the discus was thrown, and the chariot raced,
And the fastest of sprinters ran as if chased,
As they jogged in full armor, and they wrestled the strong,
And they shot bow and arrows, for the roars of the throng,
And the wreath of fair Nike, to the one she has blest,
Shown by the struggles, their true victors test,
So before all great men, may this one now boast,
As the greatest of great, and better than most,
Yet still not the best, as others would see,
Unless he had gained the true victory.

Still on and through time we all shall compete,
The greatest yet born, the firm and elite,
With Promethean Flame, which for ancients burned bright,
Has been passed on to us, as a torch and our light,
That phoenixian fire, that makes all nations one,
No less important than the rays of the sun.

On that day we compete, to win glory fair,
In the face of our people, to bring hope when we dare,
We who are chosen, we who are blest,
To stand before all, and give it our best,
Before all the millions, who come up to cheer,
When we face the world’s mighty, against pressure and fear,
We must fight off the worry, the tears, and the pain,
It is us against all; can we take on the strain?
To rise from the masses, we come high and tall,
Thus before the world stand, or before the world, fall.

But then once the struggles come to an end,
And the battle is done, as we now comprehend
That the greatest of goals that may have been won
Are not what we thought when all’s said and done.
Not bronze, nor the silver, nor glorious gold,
Nor the wreaths of the ancients, or the crowns of the old,
Such things may be won in ways less than fair,
Thus no victory gained shall ever compare,
When we face our own fear, and the pressure, and sorrow,
And our thoughts that there won’t be a brightened tomorrow,
When we take off our masks, and assume our true roles
When we dig deep inside, and we put forth our souls,
When we know in our hearts that our limit is done,
Then that is, for us, the true victory won,
No Icarian flight, full of pride, and no plan,
This is our legend: To give all we can,
And may all of our virtues be seen in this rhyme,
So that this, above all, is our Triumph through time.