The City of Kelowna held a celebration for local Olympians Wednesday evening at Stuart Park.
Local fans came out to hear stories and get autographs from Kelsey Serwa and Tess Critchlow.
“We’re really proud of them,” Manoah Kleemaier said with a sign that said ‘Welcome Back Tess’.
The two athletes sat down with Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran who moderated a talk about their journey to the 2018 Winter Olympic games in Pyeongchang.
The lakeside conversation gave fans the chance to get to know first time Olympic athlete Critchlow.
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“It’s awesome to meet the little rippers and other skiers at Big White,” Critchlow said. “Seeing how excited the kids get has been really cool and I’ll hopefully inspire them to do what they love.”
Critchlow’s journey to the Olympics was a family affair; her mom had the chance to cheer her on as she went through the gates to shred on the Olympic stage representing Canada and the Okanagan.
Critchlow placed ninth in Snowboard Cross.
“It was very surreal. It’s been a goal of hers for so long and to actually look around and see Pyeongchang and Olympic rings it was like, wow! We are here!” Critchlow’s mom Nada Schermann said.
Her hunt for gold is not over. Critchlow hopes to represent Canada once again in China.
Serwa also announced she would not be retiring.