Olympic medals aren’t delivered on gossamer wings. It takes birds with other wings — loonies and lots of them — to deliver Canadian athletes to the podium.
“Funding is a huge difference-maker and tonight was a way for athletes to say thank you for your support,” said Rosie MacLennan, two-time Olympic gold-medallist trampoline gymnast, during the fourth-annual Victoria Gold Medal Plates fundraiser Thursday night at the Victoria Conference Centre.
“It was funding which allowed me access to the specialists I needed after my concussion,” she said.
That medical care led to her second successive Olympic gold medal over the summer at Rio 2016, following up her gold from London 2012.
“Funding also allowed our [Rio Olympics bronze-medallist] rugby sevens women’s team to be centralized here on the Island. Funding is what gives you that edge to be competitive,” added MacLennan, the Canadian flagbearer during the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics.
Gold Medal Plates, in which a culinary competition featuring top chefs helps raise money for athletes, has raised more than $11 million for Canadian Olympians since 2004. The Victoria event, which was sold out last night with more than 500 in attendance, is among 12 being held across the country this year. Barney Bentall led the musical accompaniment.
“It is so important to be supported like this in the local community,” said Bianca Farella, bronze-medallist player with the Langford-based Canadian women’s rugby sevens team.
“Rugby is such a technical sport that it’s important to have the funding to be centralized like we are.”
Thursday’s Gold Medal Plates featured numerous Olympians in attendance, both past and present. Some, such as MacLennan from Richmond Hill, Ont., were from away but most were from the Island.
