After Olympic shun, McKeever wins gold

Winning a gold medal in the Paralympics 20-km cross country event must be a bitter sweet moment for Brian McKeever. As a visually impaired athlete, McKeever was only hours away from skiing for his country in the Olympic Games, when he was told by his coach he would not be competing.

Less than a month later, McKeever stands atop the world at the Paralympics after winning Canada's first ever Paralympic gold medal on home soil.

It isn't all smiles and congratulations for McKeever, he still has a foul taste in his mouth from the Vancouver Winter Olympics and a goal in his mind for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

What is sad about this, is the media coverage surrounding McKeever is not for his amazing accomplishment in the Paralympics, it is because he was shunned at the Olympic Games.

McKeever is the kind of athlete children should be looking up to. He aspires to be the best, and in fact, is the best in his sport. Brian McKeever's gold medal at the 2010 Paralympics shouldn't be thought of as second rate; his first Paralympic gold on home soil is every bit as important as the Olympic Gold won by Alexandre Bilodeau.

I wouldn't count McKeever out just yet. If you know anything about the Paralympics, you'll understand that overcoming odds is just a part of the business. For McKeever, despite his visual impairment, the 2014 Olympic Games are still very much in sight.

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Joannie Rochette wins Terry Fox Award

Awarded for determination, and pushing on regardless of the obstacles an athlete faces, Joannie Rochette was the co-recipient of this year's Terry Fox Award.

Along with Slovenian cross country skier Petra Majdic, Rochette was given the Award aftering winning a bronze medal in figure skating, only days after her mother, Theresa Rochette, tragically passed away.

Majdic, who won a bronze medal in cross-country skiing, competed after falling 9-feet (3 metres) into a rocky pit during a training run. During the fall, Petra Majdic broke multiple ribs, and still managed to compete.

Rochette, shocked the sporting world by putting together two memorable performances to capture a bronze in womens figure skating. Although Petra Majdic should not be overlooked in this story, Joannie Rochette is definitely one of the Vancouver Olympic Games' most compelling stories.

Her ability to overcome what looked like impossible odds to compete, let alone win a medal, was absolutely amazing.

Canadians have experienced more gold medals, and more medals total in the Vancouver Olympics than ever before, but Joannie Rochette's bronze will be remembered long after many gold medal winners are only names in a record book.

Joannie Rochette was well deserving of this honour, which was named for one of Canada's bravest and most determined athletes.

Let the games begin.

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