Every two years, we are privileged to witness the great human drama that is the Olympics.

The 31st Summer Olympics underway at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are no exception, as records are broken, an underdog rises to the top, champions continue their reign and the defeated shake hands with their rivals.

The more than 11,000 athletes from 207 national teams competing in Rio de Janeiro, including the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team, have trained for years, dedicating the prime of their youth, sometimes even childhood, to the perfection of their events. The joy and conviviality that are palpable during the opening ceremony are just rewards for these extraordinary people.

The Olympics provide a great lesson on the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. Those who witnessed the dramatic win of South Korean epee fencer Park Sang-young could not have been but moved by his indomitable spirit that led to the dramatic upset against his opponent. The 20-year-old fencer, ranked 21st in the world, seemed about to lose against Hungary’s Geza Imre, a two-time Olympic medalist, when he took his last time-out.

On the television screens, viewers could see him repeatedly saying to himself, “I can do it, I can do it.” And indeed he did. Following a dramatic rally which saw him earn five straight points in 47 seconds, Park clinched the gold medal. In a subsequent interview, Park said that when faced with an inescapable or unavoidable challenge, he chooses to enjoy the process of meeting the challenge.

Park’s resolute determination and positive spirit infected the South Korean contingent. Many of his fellow athletes said they recalled Park’s “I can do it, I can do it” self-hypnosis when they faced adversities and did the same. The young man’s fierce, unfailing spirit is an inspiration for everyone, especially today’s youths who lament a bleak future of prolonged unemployment and social immobility.

The story of South Korean women’s archery is something of a fable. Since 1988 when the event was first introduced in the Seoul Olympics, South Korean women’s archery team has won eight consecutive gold medals, setting a new record with each successive Olympic Games.

This year the South Korean archery contingent made yet another Olympic history, winning all four archery titles -- the individual and team events for men and women.

South Korea’s long reign in the Olympic archery events is no accident. Their hard training is legendary. It was once said that archers were made to walk through a public cemetery at night to master their fear. They train in loud baseball stadiums to learn to shut out noise and distractions.

Many are curious about the secret to their success. However, there is no real secret -- just hard work. Gold medalist Chang Hye-jin, 29, who took up archery in fourth grade, failed to qualify for the London Olympics by a mere 0.5 points. That failure, however, did not stop Chang from trying again and on Tuesday she returned home triumphant with two gold medals. In an interview, Chang said she had been embarrassed to show her “ugly” hands – covered in thick callouses and raw blisters -- but she is now proud of those hands. Her hands are a testament to the countless hours spent with her bow and arrow that led to her remarkable victory.

Another record-maker is pistol shooter Jin Jong-oh, who became the first shooter to win a single event at three consecutive Olympics with his third gold in the 50 meter pistol event. He also made it into record books as the shooter with most medals – four golds and two silvers.

Shaking Jin’s hand on the podium was North Korea’s Kim Song-guk, who won the bronze. Earlier, Kim had walked up to shake Jin’s hand after his rival won the third gold medal. Later, speaking at a press conference, Kim said, “If we become unified in the future, the first place and third place (medals) would all belong to (one) Korea.” The comment, rare coming from a North Korean athlete, tugged at the heartstrings of many Koreans.

While inter-Korean relations have deteriorated in recent years, sporting events are unique opportunities for South and North Koreans to interact. In 2000, when the relations between the two countries were better, the two Koreas, wearing the same uniform, marched into the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony behind the Korean “unification flag.” When athletes from the two Koreas run into each other at sporting events, they inquire after one another and enjoy a special sort of camaraderie.

At Rio de Janeiro, a photo of two gymnasts from South and North Korea taking a selfie together went viral. South Korea’s Lee Eun-ju, 17, asked North Korea’s Hong Un-jong to take a selfie together when they were training earlier this month. Lee was at her first Olympics while Hong had won her country’s first gymnastics gold medal, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach commented that the selfie was a “great gesture.”

This year’s Summer Games has failed to command much attention. The unprecedented heat wave has people too tired to stay up to watch the games live. Worries about what is being described as a “electricity bill bomb” appear to be the top conversation topic.

Yet, our Olympians deserve to be lauded as heroes, medal or no medal, for their focused determination, their unyielding spirit and unwavering dedication are an inspiration to us all.

By Kim Hoo-ran

Kim Hoo-ran is the lifestyle desk editor at The Korea Herald. She can be reached at khooran@heraldcorp.com