Six weeks after her gold medal win at the PyeongChang Olympics, Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Kelsey Serwa, along with her fellow Kelowna Olympian Tessa Critchlow, were officially welcomed home Wednesday.
Mayor Colin Basran sat down in Stuart Park with Serwa, who won gold in women香蕉视频直播檚 ski cross in South Korea in February, and Critchlow, who finished ninth in women香蕉视频直播檚 snowboard cross, after the athletes signed autographs.
香蕉视频直播淭oday香蕉视频直播檚 been unreal,香蕉视频直播� said Serwa. 香蕉视频直播淭o be welcomed up here by such a warm and welcoming crowd is so cool. And to do it with Tess, who competed in the snowboard cross, yeah, we香蕉视频直播檙e so fortunate to come from this community. You can really feel the warmth.香蕉视频直播�
Serwa told the 150-strong crowd she is putting her original plan to retire from competition this year on hold. She said she plans to return to UBC Okanagan for another semester of study in the fall and then try to convince her professors to allow her to write her final exams a little early so she can compete for one more season on the World Cup circuit.
The announcement from the three-time Olympian香蕉视频直播攚ho also won a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games in Russia香蕉视频直播攄rew applause from the crowd.
Critchlow said she has not made firm plans about her immediate future but will keep racing and hopes to compete at the next Winter Olympics in four years in Beijing, China and better her finish from PyeongChang.
Two weeks ago she won the Canadian women香蕉视频直播檚 snowboard cross championship.
Both women said they were happy to inspire other young athletes, many of whom showed up at the park to meet their sporting heroes.
But it was not just the kids who wanted to be there for to Kelowna Olympians.
Cathie Pavlik, a teacher at KLO Middle School香蕉视频直播攚ho taught Serwa香蕉视频直播攕aid she was very proud of her former student.
香蕉视频直播淪he香蕉视频直播檚 so great, a good person and a wonderful athlete,香蕉视频直播� said Pavlik. 香蕉视频直播淪he aspires to all those things you want in an athlete. She香蕉视频直播檚 a good role model. It香蕉视频直播檚 one of those happy endings.香蕉视频直播�
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Following her chat with the mayor, Serwa showed off both the gold medal she won in South Korea and the silver she won four years ago in Sochi.
Basran told her when he watched on television as she raced in PyeongChang, he could not contain his exuberance as she skied to victory.
香蕉视频直播淚 was shouting at the television and jumping up and down,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Wednesday香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淲elcome Home Celebration香蕉视频直播� was hosted by the City of Kelowna and PacificSport Okanagan as an opportunity for locals to take pictures, get autographs and speak with the two athletes.
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