Saluting Mark McMorris and Canada’s Olympians
Hear the name Mark McMorris and the first image that comes to mind is a spinning, leaping body in motion, defying gravity and the limits created by the snowboard strapped to his feet.
The second image is probably the relaxed grin that stretches across his face and has won the hearts of people in his home province and across Canada.
The ease of that smile, however, belies how hardearned the pleasure of competing for his country has been.
Less than a year has passed since McMorris hit a tree on the slopes of Whistler, breaking a mind-boggling 17 bones and putting his life in jeopardy. As he told the National Post’s Scott Stinson at the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, he wondered if he should be aiming at getting back into competition.
“But I don’t have anything else that brings this kind of joy to my life. Obviously, it’s really stressful, and it can be tough at times, but I’m happy that I pushed through everything and I’m back here,” he said.
Life can be stressful and tough, as McMorris says, but we all need to show his tenacity and grit when it comes to the challenges we face in life. This young man, who rose from the prairie dirt around Milestone to shine on mountain tops around the world, is a terrific role model. With the bronze he earned on Saturday, his amazing comeback had a triumphant finish.
Not even halfway through the Olympics, Canadians athletes have already given many moments of pride and pleasure. The gold-medal win in team figure skating featured the Moulin Rouge ice dance routine by Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue, one that will go down as one of the great numbers in the sport’s history.
At press time for this editorial, Canada had two gold, four silver and one bronze medal. (The fact we currently sit ahead of the U.S. in the standings might be adding to our joy, if we are completely honest.)
For those of you who have been too busy to stop and watch, make some time to do so. CBC has done a terrific job of making competitions available online and through television coverage. Of course, you can also find full coverage on thestarphoenix.com and leaderpost.com.