What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?

Imagine this: a kid who starts Taekwondo because they think it’s going to be just like in the movies, where you learn the secret dragon kick in your first lesson and then go off to save the world. That was me. Fast forward through years of actually learning Taekwondo, and I realized it’s less about dramatic kicks and more about sweating buckets, mastering discipline, and perfecting that high kick without face-planting. It’s tough, but I love it. The thrill of mastering a new move, the camaraderie with fellow sweaty humans, and the sheer awesomeness of feeling like a ninja at least twice a lesson kept me hooked.

Then there’s the Winter Olympics, and along comes luge. My experience with luge? Absolutely none. It’s like sledding on steroids, and the closest I’ve come to that kind of adrenaline rush is sliding down the stairs on a mattress, which, for the record, I don’t advise. Watching these athletes, who must have a serious need for speed (and possibly a screw loose, let’s be honest), hurl themselves down icy tracks at speeds that would make my car whimper, is mesmerizing. And there’s me, snug on my couch, clutching my hot cocoa like a safety blanket, thinking, “You folks are mad, and I love it.”

So, from the dojang where I’ve kicked, punched, and yes, occasionally fallen over my own feet, to the icy luge tracks that make me appreciate solid ground and friction, my love for these Olympic sports is a mix of personal passion and armchair adrenaline. It’s a weird combo, like pineapple on pizza or socks with sandals, but it works for me. Who knew that a journey from trying not to get kicked in the head to marveling at people essentially turning themselves into human missiles could be so entertaining? Only in the Olympics, folks.

—Josh Mullins—

Fractured Reflections: Stories of Love, Lies, and Liberation https://a.co/d/ie9TDHi