Six weeks after her gold medal win at the PyeongChang Olympics, Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 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 women91裸聊视频檚 ski cross in South Korea in February, and Critchlow, who finished ninth in women91裸聊视频檚 snowboard cross, after the athletes signed autographs.
91裸聊视频淭oday91裸聊视频檚 been unreal,91裸聊视频� said Serwa. 91裸聊视频淭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, we91裸聊视频檙e so fortunate to come from this community. You can really feel the warmth.91裸聊视频�
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 Olympian91裸聊视频攚ho also won a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games in Russia91裸聊视频攄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 women91裸聊视频檚 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 School91裸聊视频攚ho taught Serwa91裸聊视频攕aid she was very proud of her former student.
91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 so great, a good person and a wonderful athlete,91裸聊视频� said Pavlik. 91裸聊视频淪he aspires to all those things you want in an athlete. She91裸聊视频檚 a good role model. It91裸聊视频檚 one of those happy endings.91裸聊视频�
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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.
91裸聊视频淚 was shouting at the television and jumping up and down,91裸聊视频� he said.
Wednesday91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淲elcome Home Celebration91裸聊视频� 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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