Like everything else in life, the Olympic Games are really about people. People who inspire us, people who motivate us and people who make us proud. They are about people who have sacrificed , who have dared to succeed and have fought off the fear of failure. We have many of these people in Squamish.
It starts with the athletes - and we have more than our fair share of Olympians living here. Athletes like Justin Lamoureux (half pipe), Ma毛lle Ricker (snowboard cross), Rob Fagan (snowboard cross) and Megan Tandy (biathlon) have already made us proud with their dedication and success. And so have local athletes who strived to achieve the monumental goal of competing in the Olympics - Davey Barr (skier cross), Aleisha Cline (skier cross), Tom Velisek (snowboarder cross) and Dominique Vall茅e (half pipe).
The Olympics has brought many other incredible people to our community. People like John Aalberg , Nordic sport director, who has made our incredible Nordic venue in the Callaghan Valley real and has embraced and supported our community at every step along the way. People like Max Saenger, biathlon sport manager, who along with his wife Karen has introduced the whole community to this exciting sport. People like John Heilig , ski jump and Nordic combined sport manager, who along with his family have become an integral part of the 撸奶社区fabric. People like Lindsay Durno, Whistler Olympic Park manager and his wife Bobbi who have supported every community event they have been exposed to.
Other long term residents have made incredible contributions to the Olympics. 撸奶社区Nation is no less than one of the four aboriginal Host Nations, a first in Olympic history. Owen Carney, a director of the Vancouver 2010 Bid Committee, continues to lead that incredible force known as the Weasel Workers who have supported decades of World Cup and Olympic alpine skiing events.
Bob Brant has been a Games community leader since 2001, chairing the 撸奶社区Olympic bid task force, on the spirit committee and championing the Best of 撸奶社区awareness program. Denise Imbeau created the Callaghan Valley Local Organizing Committee (CALOC) out of thin air and led that organization through two years of pre-Olympic test events. Through CALOC she introduced hundreds of volunteers and a community to unfamiliar sports that we are now known worldwide for.
These people are just the tip of the iceberg of thousands of 撸奶社区athletes, volunteers, coaches, officials, home stay hosts, spectators and workers who continue to make me proud and will soon make our country proud.
I think that we will find that, just as competition brought out the best in the ancient Greeks, these games will bring out the best in all of us. I have little doubt that over the coming weeks the people of 撸奶社区will be the best hosts the winter and Paralympic Games have ever seen. I only hope that along the way you take some time to enjoy this moment - because you deserve it.
Let the Games begin.
