Here’s a Canadian summary for the 2022 Winter Games held from Feb 4th to Feb 20th in Beijing, China. There were 109 events and a giant panda named Bing Dwen was the official mascot. Beijing made history as the first city ever to host both the summer and winter Olympics. As a proud Canadian, I was cheering on my country at the Games. Canada finished with a total of 26 medals: 4 Gold, 8 Silver, and 14 Bronze.
Canada’s first Gold medal was won by snowboarder (and cancer survivor) Max Parrot in the Men’s Slopestyle competition. In 2018, Max was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, about 10 months after winning a silver medal at the Pyeongchang Games. Max underwent 12 treatments of chemotherapy over 6 months. He was lying in a hospital bed with no energy, muscles, or cardio, unsure if he could regain his strength to compete in the Olympics again. So, winning the Gold medal in Beijing was a huge moment for Max. Being able to come back in face of adversity to compete (and win) is impressive. Max’s story teaches us to never give up on our dreams because with determination and perseverance, we can achieve anything.
Congratulations to all the Canadians who participated in the Olympics this year.