HOME WITH THE HARDWARE
Four-time medallist Penny Oleksiak and fellow Canadian Olympians arrive at Pearson to crush of fans,
When most people get off a 10-hour red-eye flight, the last thing they want to see is a camera.
But for Canada’s Olympians, the glare of TV lights was more like a warm embrace.
Gold medalists Penny Oleksiak and Rosie MacLennan and their fellow team members arrived to a crush of fans, supporters and media Tuesday morning at Pearson airport.
The crowd cheered and surged forward, pleading for autographs, when Oleksiak stepped through the Terminal 1 doors wearing her gold medal from the women’s 100m freestyle swim.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Oleksiak said. “I still can’t really believe it is happening.”
Oleksiak said she didn’t think she’d even qualify for the team this spring at the Olympic trials.
“To be standing here with four medals is a pretty amazing feeling.”
She became the face of Rio 2016 for Canada, and its flag bearer during the closing ceremony.
She also won silver and bronze medals making her the most decorated Canadian swimmer at a single Games.
Her silver and bronze medals are stashed in her luggage, she said, wrapped in Roots socks. Apparently Olympic hardware doesn’t come with its own carrying case.
Rio was only supposed to be a dry run for Tokyo in 2020, she said. Winning the gold is an “unreal” feeling.
She said she plans to kick back and relax for a few weeks at a friend’s cottage before school starts.
Just after Labour Day, Oleksiak will be back at school at Monarch Park Collegiate.
While her teachers have wondered how they’ll play the dual role of fan and mentor, Oleksiak is confident she won’t get any special treatment.
Her friends help the 16-year-old stay grounded, she said — often with good-natured teasing about her runaway success.
“‘Oh, another medal?’ they say. ‘You’re not THAT special,’” Oleksiak said, laughing and adding her thanks to everyone who has supported her.
The celebration of her success is set to continue with a parade in the Beach, held in honour of her and other area Olympians.
“There’s a buzz on,” says Johanna Carlo, a board member of the Beach Village BIA, which is organizing the homecoming parade on Sunday.
“I think I’ll just be excited to be there with a bunch of other Olympians,” Oleksiak said. “To see everyone who supported us.”
The flag-bearer for the opening ceremony, trampoline gymnast MacLennan, was also on one of the Tuesday morning flights.
She defended her gold medal from the London Olympics, finishing first in Rio. “We know we get so much support from home when we’re out there, but to see it like this when you step off the plane is just amazing,” MacLennan said, thankful that Team Canada had coffee and a little makeup waiting before the athletes had to brave the TV lights.
MacLennan said she’s heading back to university after a brief rest and will be studying for a master’s degree in exercise sciences. “Kinda fits, right?” she joked. MacLennan said she had a good feeling about her medal hopes when she finished her routine.
“When I finished, I looked over at my coach. He has this big smile on his face,” she said. “That’s usually a good sign.”
Ashley Lawrence, part of the bronze-medal winning women’s soccer team, said coming home is its own reward.
“We wanted to podium and inspire the nation,” she said, “and we’re just so happy to be home.”
That bronze was a hard-fought victory over hometown favourite Brazil. Fans in the country developed a reputation for booing their athletes’ rivals, but Lawrence said it didn’t affect her team on the pitch.
“The atmosphere was crazy, but we rose to the challenge.”