Day 2 of Competition

What a day! Happy Valentine's Day! Happy Chinese New Year! Happy Day for Canada! Happy Day for me! The first picture shows people milling around waiting for Cindy, Clara and Kristina to race. The second picture is for my Grandson Alexandre. This is me with Kyle Shewfelt who won a gold medal for Canada in gymnastics in 2004 in Athens. My shift today started off early because I wanted to see the whole race and not be on my way to work, but there were so many people there when I got there that I started to work right away. It was very exciting to watch the race. Everyone was clapping rhythmically in time with each other hoping we were being heard down the way at the oval. When the results were posted, the place erupted. Shortly afterward we had to work hard to clean things up because the Marriot hotel was coming in to do a catered function called the "Canadian Sport Heroes Collection"--12 athletes honoured for changing the face of athletics in Canada. Each of them had a portrait painted and on display. Four of them came to the special function and many others could not come because they had various other functions to do right now. Those that came were: Diane Jones-Konihowski, Gaetan Boucher, Silken Laumann and Alex Baumann. My picture gallery shows a poster with all names on it. To toast these fine athletes other former olympians were invited to come and pour the champagne for the toast. These were Kyle Shewfelt, Blythe Hartley(diving), Michelle Cameron(synchronised swimming with Carolyn Waldo), Daniel Igali(freestyle wrestling) and 2 other wrestlers whose names I did not catch. I talked to several of them. They were all so nice and down to earth. I spent about 15 mins. with Kyle and Graham Konihowski came over to me and said "I hear you used to coach track and field to school children." I have no idea how he found that out, but he and Diane were both high school phys. ed. teachers so we had a great chat and then Diane came over and he introduced her to me. The whole evening was just unbelievable. I couldn't have imagined a better one. And with a gold medal to boot! We all erupted with joy when it happened. Apparently there was one big party in downtown Vancouver after it happened. People said they waited 2 hours for a Skytrain car that wasn't totally packed. As soon as the crowd petered out I was told I could go home. I was really torn, because Kristina was going to come by with her medal for a little celebration but it would be another hour and a half at least so I decided I would come home. There will be others!! Off to soak my feet!