As a Canadian, a sports writer and an avid sports fan, I feel it is necessary to bring up something special that happened around this time just last year.
The Olympics!
As everyone around the world surely remembers, Canada hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver one year ago.
Our great nation not only hosted, but also picked up our first 14 gold medals ever on home soil.
Considering Canada had failed to win a gold medal in hosting two previous Olympic Games — the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary — winning an astounding 14 gold medals remains unforgettable.
Canada went from not having won a single gold medal at home to winning the most gold medals in Winter Olympic history.
Looking back, only a year later that nostalgic feeling of Canadian pride creeps in. And I cannot help but crack a grin when I think about what went on in the city of Vancouver last February.
I was one of the lucky folks who got to be in Vancouver during the games, and just being there was enough for me.
But, my luck kept growing.
We found tickets to a Canadian curling match – the perfect place to have a couple great Canadian beverages.
The next day my friend and I were approached by an Olympic official and asked three trivia questions, but answered only one correctly. Nevertheless, one happened to be adequate for the happy-go-lucky official, who handed over our prize – two tickets to the evening hockey game between Sweden and Germany.
No Team Canada action, but great times regardless.
And sure, seeing Olympic events in person could be the ultimate highlight of being at the Olympics. But for me, that was a fraction of the good times.
The Olympics were hosted in too nice of a city, with too many nice people roaming the streets to be making all my memories inside a sporting venue.
For me, the Vancouver 2010 Olympics were about the people coming together in one city and celebrating the joys of sport, camaraderie and accomplishment. But, most importantly doing the celebrating outside, on the streets of Vancouver, without trashing the beautiful city.
Standing at the intersection of Robson and Granville was incredible.
The atmosphere was electric, with street bands playing, giant screens showing live Olympic events, and, oh yes, countless numbers of people doing the same thing as me — enjoying themselves immensely.
There are so many amazing moments from the Olympics I would still like to mention: The first gold medal won by Alexandre Bilodeau, Maëlle Ricker's dominating gold medal run, the women's hockey team winning gold, and who can forget ‘the goal' by Sidney Crosby?
When Crosby scored in overtime against the United States it was like a Canadian dream just played out in real life. It was unbelievable.
Having the world's best hockey player score the winning goal against our biggest rival, in the biggest game, on our home stage, was simply unbelievable and something I will never, ever forget.
But, if I had to choose one single memory that stands out for me the most, and gets those goosebumps going from head to toe, it was the spontaneous outbursts of O' Canada all over Vancouver.
Our national anthem could be heard anywhere in the city, at anytime, being voiced by anyone within earshot.
The 2010 Olympics: A beautiful scene, in a beautiful city, nestled in a beautiful country.
Canadian pride. I think so.
