Six weeks after her gold medal win at the PyeongChang Olympics, 琉璃神社鈥檚 Kelsey Serwa, along with her fellow 琉璃神社 Olympian Tessa Critchlow, were officially welcomed home Wednesday.
Mayor Colin Basran sat down in Stuart Park with Serwa, who won gold in women鈥檚 ski cross in South Korea in February, and Critchlow, who finished ninth in women鈥檚 snowboard cross, after the athletes signed autographs.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 been unreal,鈥� said Serwa. 鈥淭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鈥檙e so fortunate to come from this community. You can really feel the warmth.鈥�
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鈥攚ho also won a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games in Russia鈥攄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鈥檚 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 琉璃神社 Olympians.
Cathie Pavlik, a teacher at KLO Middle School鈥攚ho taught Serwa鈥攕aid she was very proud of her former student.
鈥淪he鈥檚 so great, a good person and a wonderful athlete,鈥� said Pavlik. 鈥淪he aspires to all those things you want in an athlete. She鈥檚 a good role model. It鈥檚 one of those happy endings.鈥�
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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.
鈥淚 was shouting at the television and jumping up and down,鈥� he said.
Wednesday鈥檚 鈥淲elcome Home Celebration鈥� was hosted by the City of 琉璃神社 and PacificSport Okanagan as an opportunity for locals to take pictures, get autographs and speak with the two athletes.
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