Impact of winning Olympic Bronze being felt in Prince George

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“It’s not often we end a season without an injury. That was my biggest concern, so every time she went down that hill I was relieved. I was relieved more than happy. But then I could slowly relax and enjoy her success.”

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Seeing her finishing the time trial prior to competition with the third-fastest time, Virginia was confident her daughter was on her game and destined to succeed.

The Prince George athlete won Canada’s seventh medal of the Games, and became the first-ever Prince George athlete to win an Olympic medal.

“I’m excited,” stated Virginia, speaking on the rollercoaster of emotions after spending much of Wednesday being emotional over her daughter’s success. “It’s sinking in now, and I’m excited. I’m so happy that she could put Prince George on the map because she loves her hometown.”

That love is being felt elsewhere in the city.

The Canadian Sports School, based out of the Northern Sport Centre, was where some could say her journey really began. In fact, she was in the first group of the Sports School in Prince George as an initiative ahead of the Canada Winter Games in 2015, which were held in Prince George..

“To think of her then and over the years to now, it gives me goosebumps,” said Rob Lewis, Meryeta’s teacher during her time at the Sports School.

“This is huge for us in the sense that I think it gives kids in the North the belief that it can happen. That’s really what Sports School is about. We were tired of seeing all of our best athletes have to leave our region, leave Prince George, leave the North, to get training and get opportunities, and feel a bit like second-class citizens in the elite sport world.”

“We know that we have good athletes. We know that we get results on the provincial level, the national level; and to get it now at the international level, that’s going to build the next generation. They know that it can be done and it can be done out of Prince George. That belief is huge,” explained Lewis.

Lewis believes the success story of Meryeta, which is likely still years away from being completed, is an inspiration to local athletes in and around Prince George.

“The people inside the Sports School that don’t know Meryeta personally, they are buzzing about it. And they’re walking a little bit taller thanks to Meryeta.”

O’Dine has one more event in Beijing. She will be a part of the Mixed Team Snowboard Cross event, which will get underway Friday evening (local time).