The Carolina Penguin (106.7 FM) just celebrated its fifth year by hosting a concert at the newly renovated amphitheater at Greenfield Lake Park. While their ice sculpture didn’t quite make it through the hot summer evening, the music was pretty cool. The 900-seat venue, which recently had a $1.2M makeover, was packed with Tift Merritt fans. In fact, the heavily advertised concert sold out. Even though the event had a few hiccups – the original opening act, Teddy Thompson, had to cancel at the last minute – the crowd didn’t seem to mind. And his replacement, Chatham County Line, put on a fine performance of “gather-‘round-the-microphone bluegrass”. All in all, it was a great evening. Happy Birthday Penguin!

The Olympics.  The most anticipated worldwide event where the best athletes in the universe step it up and display awe-inspiring talent and athleticism, breaking world records by hundredths of a second, while the rest of the world watches them make history.  And make history is exactly what the U.S. mens 400 meter freestyle relay team did last night. (I still get goosebumps, just thinking about it).

I admit I’ve been caught up –along with the rest of America-in all the press coverage over Michael Phelps’ quest to become the first Olympian to win eight gold medals in a single Games, so, imagine my surprise –no, disbelief-as I watched his teammate, anchor swimmer Jason Lezak, make what might have been the greatest comeback swim in Olympic history last night.  Lezak, a three-time Olympian, was half a body length behind France’s Alain Bernard, an almost impossible distance to bridge, let alone overcome, in the last 50 meters of the race. But, determination for the gold overcame as Lezak gained inch by powerful inch. With the crowd roaring in the background, Lezak finished first literally by the skin of his teeth.  Thanks to Lezak, Phelps won his second gold.

This is what the Olympics is all about: watching people with extraordinary talent, strength and skill do what we ordinary people could only dream of.  These are the events that movies are based on, the moments that will be remembered for a lifetime.  Michael Phelps may be the first Olympian to win eight golds, but Jason Lezak was the shining star of last night’s events.

With the start of the summer Olympics ready to kick off in Beijing, there is one event in particular that I am anxiously awaiting: Dara Torres ’ unprecedented fifth Olympic return to the swimming pool.  A former competitive athlete myself, I am much more likely to root for the underdog in most sporting events, however, Dara Torres is anything but an underdog.

Torres is garnering tons of media attention as the first ever American swimmer to compete in five Olympics, and one of the oldest competitors to set foot in the pool.  At 41 years old, she is competing against – and beating – athletes half her age and has twice broken her own record in the 50 meter freestyle, most recently, twenty six years after she first set it at fifteen years old (also fifteen months after the birth of her daughter).

Since her Olympic debut in 1984, she has won nine Olympic medals, including four golds.  She won five medals alone in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, an unbelievable feat for any Olympian, not to mention one who happened to be the oldest member of her team at that time, at thirty-three years old.

Dara is proof positive that age truly is just a number and that your dreams don’t stop because you’ve hit a certain age. What do I admire most about her, besides her six-pack abs and super toned physique?  Her attitude that anything is achievable…it just depends on how badly you really want it.