Not very often do individuals get the opportunity to say they made history. On February 14, 2010 one of Canada’s sons came through when national pressure had never been higher.
Alexandre Bilodeau was competing in the men’s moguls competition at the 2010 Olympics being held in Vancouver, Canada. Canadians haven’t seen the Olympics on home soil since the 1988 Summer Olympic Games that were held in Calgary, Alberta.
The most astonishing part is that even though we’ve held the Olympics previously, a Canadian citizen has never won a gold medal on home turf. That was until Alexandre Bilodeau changed all that. He gave Canadians what we’ve been waiting for since the beginning of Olympic history, a gold medal earned at home.
Most of us can remember where they were when a special moment happened for Canada at any Olympic Games. For example, when the men’s hockey team won the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, USA. I was sitting in my history classroom filled with hundreds of high school students in my hometown of Port Hope, Ontario.
Alexandre has given a new generation a moment to remember. A new piece of Canadian history that has been written in a time when pressure has never been higher for any Canadian athlete.
I’ll never forget where I was when Alexandre gave Canada the first reason to cheer at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, will you?
