Proud to be a Canadian

On a day where the Canadian Women at the Olympics have made us all proud, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a Canadian.

For the Women Curlers, they are the first team to have won every game in both the Round Robin and right through to the Gold Medal Game. But it hasn't been easy. Their skip, Jennifer Jones had knee surgery 14 months ago, and then gave birth to a little girl, Isabella. She fought back hard and long to be in shape to make it to the Olympics, never mind to actually win the Gold. Amazing!

And then there was our Women's Hockey Team. Some people thought they were washed up, definitely not the team that had won Gold at the last three Olympic Games. After all, they said, look at all the teams they had lost to the USA Team this past year. But they didn't listen to their critics, and instead they beat the American Team in Pool Play and then faced them again today for the Gold Medal Game. Down 2-0 with less than 4 minutes to go, the Canadians scored a goal, and with less than a minute left, another one! The game was tied!!

This team with 9 Rookies didn't listen to their detractors, but instead went into Overtime believing they could slay the giant....and that they did. 8 minutes into overtime Marie-Philip Poulin scores! Canada wins GOLD in Women's Hockey.

It made me think of a story early in the Olympics when a young speed skater, Gilmore Junio, gave up his spot in the 1,000 metre speed skating event so that Denny Morrison, who fell during the Canadian Olympic team trials could compete. Junio gave the spot to Morrison saying that would be 'in the best interest of the team'. And the end of that story for those of you that aren't Olympic Junkies like our family? Well Denny Morrison went on to win the Silver Medal in that event.

Gilmore Junio gave up his spot?! Amazing! Incredible! For the good of the team? Truly Canadian! Denny Morrison is now lobbying that Junio should be the Flag Bearer for the Canadians at the Closing Ceremonies for truly showing the Olympic Spirit.

We are a big country geographically, but small in population. Just 35,000,000....compare that to the USA's  313,000,000, Germany's 81,500,000 or Russia's almost 140,000,000 but much like the Little Engine that Could in the old children's book, we think we can! And we try hard to prove it to the world!! We may be small, but we have big hearts and we never give up.

So yes, I am proud to be a Canadian!!