WATCH: Kelsey Serwa and Marielle Thompson talk about how special it was to share the podium together as teammates and friends.
Marielle Thompson is a graduate of Whistler Secondary and today in Sochi the 21-year-old won gold in the women’s ski cross.
Another B.C. skier, Kelsey Serwa of Kelowna, was right behind her taking the silver.
In the audience up at Whistler today was a very proud sister, in a school that seems to breed champions.
“I think everyone is super excited about it,” said Tess Thompson, Marielle’s sister. “It’s because everyone grew up knowing her, and they kind of idolize her.”
It wouldn’t be out of place to call Whistler Secondary ‘Canada’s Olympic School’. There are seven grads competing in the Sochi Olympics, and there were nine former students at the 2010 games in Vancouver, and they have two gold medals to show for it.
In Whistler Ski Club and School Program they encourage gifted students like Marielle to excel, as they do in Kelowna. Kelsey Serwa credits the many postcards she got from home with encouraging her to succeed. They now hang above her bed in her room in Sochi.
“The last couple of hours have been insane,” said Serwa via phone from Sochi today. She added there’s no one else she would rather share the podium with than Marielle.
Marielle’s gold medal and Kelsey’s silver add to Canada’s medal toll. In the last two days our athletes have been on roll, adding four golds to our 24 medals, which puts us third in the medal rankings today.
– With files from Brian Coxford
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