Thrills, Triumphs and Tears: Going for Gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics

I never dreamed that I’d attend a Victory ceremony at the 2010 Winter Olympics, so when my friend invited me to go I was completely thrilled.  The excitement built as we stood in the lineup for security, then passed though it (without too much of a wait!) into BC Place Stadium where the medal award ceremonies are held.

I can’t recall having been in the Stadium before and that in itself was a thrill.  We collected our drinks and food (again, the lineups were very short) and found our seats with a good view of the podium below. But with the two big viewing screens it didn’t matter if you were far away from the stage.

The opening performance was an homage to Prince Edward Island, with a troupe of singers, dancers and musicians from the Atlantic province who put on an excellent show.  It even included some of  the musical of  “Anne of Green Gables”, a popular Prince Edward Island story that is considered real Canadian literature.

Next came the medal award ceremony.  Such excitement!  The whole stadium erupted into cheers, flags waving joyfully.  Another huge thrill seeing the winning athletes take the podium:  Shaun White, the popular American snowboarder winning gold for USA;  Christine our speed skater winning gold for Canada.  And the others, too, the gold, silver and bronze winners.  What a  triumphant moment when the National Anthems of each winning country was played and sung (I’ve never heard the Canadians sing ‘O Canada’ so lustily!)  It was enough to bring tears to your eyes, and it certainly brought them to mine!  What a proud moment for all of us, no matter which athlete we were supporting.  We were all One there in the stadium, singing our anthems, cheering for our heroes, waving our  country’s flags.

Then came the evening’s feature act, Hedley, a local rock band with a magnificent lead singer that totally awed me.  And the dazzling light show was another thrill.

I think it was an evening that I will certainly remember for some time to come.  What a thrill and sense of National pride I felt seeing our own athletes step up to the podium to accept their medals.  Go, Canada, Go!

Afterwards we headed up Robson Street and into the fray of celebrants gathered around Robson Square at the G.E .Ice Plaza where we were treated to an amazing laser light show and fireworks.  Could there be more thrills in store for us?

Yes!  We walked down Burrard to the Convention Centre and there was Olympic Cauldron blazing in all it’s triumphant glory,  big golden flames shooting into the night sky against the backdrop of the North Shore Mountains.  And out in the Inlet, the Olympic O’s glittering gold, celebrating our Canadian triumphs in the Games.