Watching the Olympics makes me think of the vulnerability of spinal cords. Thirty feet over the surface of the water, synchronized divers rise up on their toes before flinging themselves backwards into space. I wince at the thought of their heads cracking the diving platform as they somersault and imagine them “missing their dives,” smacking into the water at the oft mentioned speed of thirty-five miles per hour. In a different arena, gymnasts whirl and flip.