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Tampa native Brooke Bennett finds silver lining in Olympic postponement

Posted at 8:10 PM, Mar 26, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-27 18:12:32-04

TAMPA, Fla. — Do-overs are rare in sports, but most of the athletes that were heading to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will get one if the the International Olympic Committee sticks with its plan to hold the games next summer.

Tampa native, and three-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000), Brooke Bennett says this is the perfect time for athletes to take advantage of their second chance.

"These are the biggest opportunities for athletes across the board to gain the most out of the athlete they are, but actually the athlete they want to become," she said.

Fellow Olympian Dara Torres is releasing at-home workout videos on her Instagram page as a way to help people make the most of time spent indoors.

Bennett says it's perfect for athletes and non-athletes.

"You see all of these great videos that I've been watching coming up on social media about how to be creative at home. 'What can I do at home? How can I get outside?' That's just keeping the mind fresh," Bennett explained. "So when this is all behind us and we can all sit back and say 'We survived!' you're ready to go, the door swings open, and you get right back into your training."

Bennett said her heart breaks for high school and college students who could miss out completely on sports and social events due to the coronavirus. But she says we can all learn a lesson from having to adjust or daily lives.

"I think the big message is no matter where you are in life, we're gonna get through this. And if we can take it as a setback to learn who we are and better ourselves, OK, we're gonna all get passed this," she said.