Golden beginning !

There you have it : the First Gold medal of the Games

A good day usually starts with a Gold medal. Lynn Bessette and Robbi Weldon on the tandem picked up a Gold medal in the cycling Time Trial. For those who are new to parasport, visually impaired athletes can ride a bike with a "pilot" who has full sight. The impairment can be complete blind to various levels of vision but need to be legally blind. Some of our athletes have 10% vision for example. The key is to have the best, strongest pilot at the front. Lynn has been involved as a pilot for only a brief period of time. I think she's only in her second year with Robbi. They were gold medal winners at the World Championships this summer in Baie Comeau , Quebec.
One would be amazed at the the sight of these tandems coming along at high speed. It is even more impressive in the velodrome when they're on the track. That is happening in 2 days. Bruce and I have to start running around to share doctor coverage of high risk sports. I was at basketball and he was at the time trial event. So I don't have any pictures except the one you see here of Mathieu Parent. The cycling route went by the gym so I managed to rush my camera out of my bag to try and get a shot of him coming along. I wasn't fast enough which explains the bluriness. Notice he is cycling with an above knee amputation on the right and he's cooking!

Cindy Ouellet at the free throw line

Basketball was fun as the girls won against Brazil.  They didn't start as well as expected and Brazil was stronger than thought of.....leads to some interesting challenges.

Tara Feser challenging a shot

Kendra Ohama

Beth Kroetsch has arrived! She is the second therapist that works with the national women's wheelchair basketball team and agreed to park her personal life on a shelf and came here to help the team as our other therapist had gone home early. It is impressive that from a decision to "ask therapists if they could come" (knowing very well no one has that liberty),  getting Beth's answer, booking everything and her arriving here: 30 hours! The women's team is thrilled as they are familiar with her. There's quite a bond between these athletes and their therapists.

So....although I mentioned a gold medal, I have to state that Canada picked up 9 medals today. The gold was the first Gold of the Games and, I think, the first medal (all colours) of the Games.

A great beginning, now let's see what else happens in the next few days....