With the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang on its way in February, Olympics fever has sprung for sports fans.
But what happens when the Games are over?
“Legends Live On,” a new 10-part Olympic Channel original series, shows how 15 Olympic champions — such as snowboarder Shaun White, beach volleyball player Jackie Silva, and retired sprinter Michael Johnson — inspire future generations with their work in the community.
A particularly compelling episode centers on German ice-skating champion Katarina Witt, who won back-to-back gold medals in women’s skating at the Olympic Games in 1984 and 1988.
Witt dominated women’s skating for nearly a decade and recounts in the documentary her storied Olympic career with fellow Olympians Rosalynn Sumners and Brian Boitano, as well as Olympic sports journalist Phil Hersh.
“The East Germans were putting children into programs, and she chose skating,” Boitano said, “and skating chose her.”
Witt got an early start in skating at the age of 5 and soon enrolled at the prestigious Karl-Marx-Stadt Sports Club and School for more intensive training with renowned East German skating instructor Jutta Müller, who stayed with Witt for her entire career.
The graceful, elegant, and highly competitive Witt rose to international stardom when she became the six-time European Champion in women’s skating, and then the World Champion four times from 1984 to 1988 — losing only to American Debi Thomas in 1986.
The film follows Witt’s decision to leave the sport to pursue a career in acting and her memorable comeback to competitive skating in 1994 at the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, where she skated to the anti-war ballad “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” as a tribute to war-torn Sarajevo.
“Her being there, her skating that program — it was like her final statement in front of the world,” Hersh said in the documentary.
But Witt’s statement on social justice didn’t end there. Today she uses that passion to enrich the lives of youth with physical disabilities through the Katarina Witt Foundation. Since 2005, the foundation has sponsored almost 200 national and international projects that provide medical assistance and disaster relief for children and young people in need, with a focus on improving mobility and autonomy.
When Witt recently visited a school for children with physical disabilities in Chemnitz, Germany — where her foundation has provided a wheelchair swing for the playground — she spent time with the staff and students to learn how physical activity helps improve their quality of life.
She also devotes her time to projects that promote cultural diversity and inclusion, such as the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the pro-diversity Deutsche Welle initiative, “We are Germany.”
As Witt explains on her site: “The Katarina Witt foundation is strongly involved with children with physical disabilities and especially supports sports projects. Therefore I am strongly committed to [helping].”
Wiman hiding her face behind a bunch of cashCanva
A mansion and its reflection in the swimming poolCanva
Salzburg at nightCanva
Fancy homeCanva
Happy volunteersCanva
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
Juicy subject matter
Giphy from The Blacklist.
We could start a rumor.
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.