Pity for Marion Jones

I'm saddened by the latest news about Marion Jones. I don't think her use of performance-enhancing drugs should be condoned - after all, it's creating, it's illegal and every athlete knows what s/he can and cannot do to get an edge on the competition - but I can't help but feel the world has lost an impressive physical talent, and to many women, a very valuable role model. Damn, Marion, why?

She has such incredible talent and style...she is perfection in motion. Whenever I watched her I found myself amazed at just how beautiful the human body can be. 5' 11" - 155 pounds - not an ounce of fat - a six-pack any body builder would die for. She didn't need the drugs. She had the burning desire!

I also find it hard to imagine how much work and effort must go into being able to do what she does. Yes, she has a natural gift, but without the daily dedication and incredibly grueling workouts, she would just be attractive - not perfect. What's more, track and field is such a solitary sport. You compete with yourself, the clock, the tape measure...you don't have teammates to turn to for encouragement when the going gets tough. You have to be totally driven to attain perfection. And the drugs aside, I think Marion Jones got there.

What makes this whole incident even worse is how she somehow lost all of the money she earned from her various track meets and endorsement contracts. I still don't understand how someone with that much fame and fortune can lose it all, but I know she hasn't been the first and certainly won't be the last. The leeches came out and sucked her dry. But I guess ultimately the responsibility lies with Marion Jones.

I hope she recovers and I hope somehow she is able to continue being a part of the sport she obviously loves. Good luck, Marion!