As the Olympics comes to a close, I am reminded about something that my friends and I have discussed many times. While watching the Olympics, we all know these athletes are at the top of their game, but they make it look so effortless. Often you hear someone say, “I could do that,” or “That doesn’t look so hard.” But the reality is that it’s much more difficult than it seems.

This brings me to the idea of the Joe-lympics. Before an event in the Olympics begins, they should have an average person, or an average Joe as it were, to compete in each event. Then they can display the footage of the average Joe in a split screen to compare it to that of the top Olympic athletes.

Just picture it. You hear the starting sound for swimmers to dive into the water. On one side: the top swimmers of the world, legs and arms moving in perfect synch like a precision-engineered machine. On the other: Dave from accounting, who is doing his best not to swallow pool water and drown, and is now reconsidering every life choice that led him to this moment.

Not only would this be ridiculously entertaining, but people would have a much better idea of not only how difficult these sports are, but also how amazing these athletes are as well.

Curling would no longer be compared to simply shuffleboard on ice. Bobsledding would be valued for more than just sledding down an ice slide. And table tennis… would still be ping pong, but people would be much more impressed.

The Joe-lympics would boost appreciation and viewership of the Olympic Games. It’s a win-win. So as the Olympic flame dims, I leave you with this: the next time you hear someone say, “That doesn’t look that hard,” just imagine them in the Joe-lympics. Stretching. Nervous. Questioning their cardio. And about to discover that it is, in fact, extremely hard.