by
Ryan Smith
Grade 5 student Shane Hansen on stage with Simon Whitfield
November 24, 2000 - Simon Whitfield handled "the crash" successfully during the bicycle leg on his way to winning the Olympic triathlon in Sydney. Now he's handling "the crush" back in Canada with equal aplomb. The first-ever gold medallist in triathlon was on campus Friday to address more than 3,000 adoring schoolkids and fans.
"Sometimes I feel like a want to head to Vancouver Island, pitch a tent in the woods and stay there for a few months," Whitfield said in response to a student's question about how his life has changed since the Olympics. "But a chance to come here, speak to you and see all of your smiling faces is one of the reasons that makes the attention worthwhile."
Whitfield stood at the centre of the carnival he created in the Butterdome, which was abuzz with members of the local media. "The main message I want you to take away today," Whitfield told his charges, "is that sports are about playing and having fun."
To demonstrate his point, Whitfield brought a student volunteer to the stage with him and gave the student his gold medal to hold and put around his neck. Then he had the student hold his Olympic participant medal, and he told the students, "This medal means just as much to me as the gold medal, because participating is the most important thing--more important than winning."
"He didn't boss us around and tell us how we should be," said Crestwood Junior High School Grade 8 student, Jo Bleackley, while surrounded by her friends. "He's the best, but he didn't act like it--he seems just like us. He inspires us so much and makes us so proud. We love him!"
Young students weren't the only ones who admired Whitfield, whose father is a University of Alberta graduate. "I'm just a big fan," said first-year nursing student Melanie Bonstrum. "I'm also interested in doing triathlons, and I think he's a great speaker, so I just wanted to come and see him."
Sheila O'Kelly, executive director of the 2001 Triathlon World Championships to be held in Edmonton next July, said, "So many schools in Edmonton requested to have Simon come visit that we thought we'd bring the schools together to meet him here at the university.
"The University of Alberta has been a good supporter of the triathlon championships and we really appreciate it. I hope to keep up our great relationship with them and, in fact, it's my dream that one day triathlon will be a CIAU sport."
O'Kelly joined federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan and city councillor Jim Taylor--who made Whitfield an honorary citizen of Edmonton--in thanking Whitfield and celebrating his achievement.
"Simon is a remarkable athlete, but he is here to show you that if you work hard, look at what you can achieve. He is a wonderful and true Canadian hero," McLellan said.
Related links - external
Address of this ExpressNews article:
http://www.expressnews.ualberta.ca/article.cfm?id=472
