HALIFAX – A Nova Scotian Olympian got a hero’s welcome Friday.
Alex Duckworth, 26, competed in the women’s snowboard halfpipe event in Sochi and made it all the way to the semifinals, where she ranked 11th.
Dozens of people crowded into a lounge at the Canada Games Centre to welcome back the Kingsburg native.
Many young students, who admitted to skipping school, clutched Canadian flags as they waited for their turn to meet Duckworth.
Duckworth spoke about what it was like to be in Sochi, the nervousness she may have felt before her event and her close encounter with another Nova Scotian Olympian — Sidney Crosby.
Many Nova Scotians followed Duckworth closely during the Olympics, and it’s a point not lost on her.
Neither is the fact that she has become a role model for young girl snowboarders. Kennedy Cummings said it was really cool to hear Duckworth speak about her experience at the Games.
“I got inspired by her and someday I want to try snowboarding,” she said.
It is the same for Gabrielle Rafuse, who is doing a project on Duckworth for school.
“She’s really inspiring. I tried snowboarding and she does snowboarding, and I wanted to see her because she’s famous,” she said.
“I want to go to the Olympics and snowboard like her.”
Duckworth said she is taking her newfound fame in stride.
“You never really expect these kinds of things that come along with that whole experience. That makes it much more profound,” she said as she posed with Cummings, Rafuse and their friends.
“You can tell you’re making an influence on other people and it’s nice to do so in a positive way that inspires more physical activity. It’s so cool to meet those little girls.”
Duckworth also reflected on the grandeur of the Olympic park and Olympic village.
“It’s very futuristic. The scale of everything was so big. All of the venues, architecture, the design, they’re the biggest buildings you’ve ever seen. It’s very exciting,” she said.
Though she gushed about her Olympic experience, Duckworth admitted it’s nice to be back home.
“I think at the end of the day, I’m a bit of a country girl, so I like that balance — having a little bit of business and then coming home to a bit of quiet.”
The Olympian said she still has some national level competitions ahead, but plans to combine them with a bit of rest.
It won’t all be down time, though. Duckworth said she is already planning her journey to South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
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