First Paralympic Gold Medal on Home Soil

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on March 15, 2010

How fitting is it that Brian McKeever wins the first Paralympic gold medal on home soil?

He almost made history at the Olympic Games in February by being the first Canadian (and possibly winter Olympian) to compete at the Olympics and Paralympics.

We had five cross-country skiers named to our team for the Olympics. Brian was not chosen to race at the Olympics remaining as alternate. I wrote my thoughts on the subject here at the time if you're interested. It was sad that Brian didn't get to race, but I thought it was the right decision. I thought we should field our best team and if the coach felt that Brian wasn't one of our top four, he shouldn't race. Even if I feel it was the right decision, I was still bummed about it.

So now, he is the one to make "history". He has won Canada's first gold medal at the Paralympic Olympics Games...the first that we have hosted.

It wasn't the fairytale ending we all hoped for...but it's a happy ending (or beginning) nonetheless.