The Olympics games are the pinnacle of athletic competition. Athletes spend a lifetime trying to earn their spot to compete among the world's best. Each has the dream to win an Olympic gold medal.

As the games open in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug. 5, hundreds of countries will wave their flags in anticipation of success. Millions across the globe will tune in to catch that next great moment in Olympic history. It is truly a spectacle that brings the world together in celebrating athletes who continue to break both personal and world records. 

For Bruins Cross Country and Track Coach Landon Bright, the images of Olympic fanfare take on a more personal tone. As he sees the red, white and blue uniforms of American athletes he is filled with pride for his country but also for his family. Landon's uncle Tim Bright was a three-time Olympic athlete for the United States, competing in pole vault and decathlon. 

"He was very consistent over the course of his career," Coach Bright said. "He is one of few track and field athletes who was elite in both the decathlon and an individual event. Outside of the Olympics, he was a multiple time U.S. champion in both the decathlon and pole vault and held the world record for the decathlon pole vault by clearing 18-8 1/4."

Tim Bright competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, finishing 12th in the decathlon. In 1988, he finished 7th in the decathlon at the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Bright finished his Olympic career by finishing 12th in the pole vault in 1992. Although he never attained an Olympic medal, he saw tremendous success in several World Championship events with top-three finishes. Tim Bright is currently an assistant track and field coach at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. 

Growing up, Landon Bright saw firsthand the success of his Uncle Tim. Yet despite that success, Tim remained humble. "I never got the sense that my uncle thought he was better than anybody just because he was three-time Olympian," Coach Bright said. "It wasn't something he held above other people's head or was a major source of pride for him. He was able to compete at a high level for a decade and then move on. I could sense he really enjoyed his time as a professional athlete, but it did not define him." 

Landon learned early on the secret to success in the sport and in life. "Watching him really opened my eyes to the fact that the core ingredients for athletic success are passion and hard work. We all have different genetic disposition that may limit us in certain areas, but I realized that if I am willing to put in lots of work I can be a competitive athlete."

Although his uncle saw success on the worldwide stage, Coach Bright was never pressured to follow in his uncle's footsteps. What he developed instead was a passion for the sport and using that sport to influence others. Still, Coach Bright went on to compete at a high level both in high school and college. He then was a graduate assistant for the cross country and track programs at Hardin-Simmons University. In 2013, he joined the Bob Jones University Bruins coaching staff and founded the cross country and distance track programs. Since its inception, the program has grown to compete on a national level in NCCAA Championship meets. 

Aside from the sport, the influence Tim Bright had on his nephew was significant. "I really learned that patience is such an important part of athletics," Coach Landon Bright said. "My uncle was never the best athlete in high school, junior college or university, but he was patient and stuck with it. He eventually became one of the best athletes in the history of the decathlon. I really try to remember that when I am coaching. It's tempting as a coach to assume an athlete will never contribute, but if that athlete is willing to listen and train hard they will end up becoming an integral part of the team. The sport is littered with athletes who did not show any promise early on, but went on to become some of the greatest the sport has ever seen. As a coach, being patient is probably the most important lesson I have learned and much of that was learned from my uncle."

As the opening ceremonies ring in the start of another Olympic games, the world will watch in great anticipation for that next memorable performance. In Coach Bright's office in the athletics wing of Bob Jones University, his Uncle's 1988 olympic jersey hangs as a memory. For Coach Bright, these images of Olympic glory will serve as a constant reminder of an athlete who competed at the highest level, while using his sport to impact future generations.