'To Give Hope To Others': Oxygen Uncovers The Motives That Drive Olympic Athletes

For seasoned investigators and armchair detectives alike, the motive is key when looking into a crime — Was it jealousy? Money? Revenge?

True crime fans and Oxygen viewers aren't the only ones deciphering the clues that reveal what made someone commit a horrible act. Now, amid the excitement of the Tokyo Olympics, Oxygen asked athletes competing at the games about their own motives — for competing in their sport, that is.

"I love the people, I love to race ... and I think it's something that not a lot of people get to do for a living," said Abbey Weitzel, who is part of the U.S. Olympics swimming team. "Whenever I'm struggling in the sport, I think, 'This is cool, this is my job. Not that many people get to do this. It's extremely hard and time-consuming and emotional ... but I love the experience that it brings."

For others, the major motive is self-improvement.

"For me, I'm just someone who genuinely loves pushing themselves to their limits in the pool... there's nothing better than feeling like your work has made you stronger," said Alex Walsh, another member of the United States Olympic Swimming Team. 

Walsh's teammate Ryan Murphy agreed.

"I don't really feel like I've reached my potential yet. That really drives me. That's what gets me fired up to go back into the pool ... to find those little areas to improve in the next time," he told Oxygen.

For Trayvon Bromell, who is part of the U.S. Olympics track and field team, his motive is "to give others hope." And for swimmer Allison Schmitt, heading to Tokyo is "to show the world what we've been working on."

Clearly, the motive for these Olympians varies — but ultimately, they're all out there aiming to do their very best at the games.

Watch the Tokyo Olympics, which run from July 23 to August 8, on NBC or stream the games on Peacock. For more information on how to watch, click here.