Monday, February 15, 2010

Congratulations to Canada on its first gold medal in a Winter Olympics in Canada

Finally, Canada did it and acquired its first gold medal ever in a Winter Olympics in Canada! Canada has been the site of several Winter Olympics from Montreal to Calgary and now Vancouver but until yesterday it had never won a single gold medal in a Winter Olympics that it had hosted.

The Canadian gold medalist who yesterday made history for Canadian sports is Alexandre Bilodeau who won the gold in mogul skiing.

The New York Tmes reports
on this wonderful, and much deserved, victory (my family was breathless when we watched on television as Bilodeau skied in the finals).

As some of you may have heard, Bilodeau said that he was skiing for his older brother, who has cerebral palsy, and who managed to learn how to walk and even ski despite many odds. What an uplifting, Olympic story and victory!

Congratulations to Alexandre Bilodeau, to his family, and to Canada! All great things are worth waiting for.

I am cheering for many countries and all athletes at these Winter Games. Having been born in Canada, I can't help but feel a closeness to Canada and its majesty of scenery, size, and specialness.