I had a family member ask me a question today.  Said family member is remaining anonymous so that they won’t get beaten up by me publishing their name…  “What was the question?” you ask???

Cindy Klassen with her two bronze, two silver and Gold from Torino 2006

“Will Canada get any Gold Medals at this Olympics?”

No, this isn't the medal design, but it is nice, Gold and medal shaped. Look here for more on the design.

Now!  Don’t throw things at me or make mean comments!!  I believe fully that we’re going to ‘Rock the Podium’ (to heck with “owning it”!).  Canada won 7 Gold, 3 Silver, and 7 Bronze in Salt Lake City 2002, and 7 Gold, 10 Silver, and 7 Bronze at Torino 2006!  So yes!  We are going to win medals!  And yes!  More than the previous Winter Games!  For crying out loud, we have athletes like Cindy Klassen (above) who won 5 Olympic medals on her own in Torino 2006 (more than 20% of our medal count – (she was our flag bearer for the Closing Ceremonies because she had won so many medals!)!  (Just a note, Cindy is in training for the Long Track Speed Skating Team but is coming back from arthroscopic surgery on both knees.  Qualifying for the Team Canada Long Track Speed Skating Team isn’t happening until December in Calgary (please correct this date if I’m wrong)).

We have some extraordinary athletes, both in the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games!  And short of some event that is really significant, I’d like to take some days to talk about them.  But I will need your help.

Do you know an Olympic or Paralympic (or soon to be either of those) athlete that we all should be celebrating?  Is there a name that you’ve heard mentioned and would like to know more about??  Do you have a favourite sport that you would like the low-down on how our athletes (or your own athletes, if you’re not Canadian (yes, I believe in fair play!!)) will likely do…  Comment or tweet (@2010vanfan) or email me (2010vanfan@gmail.com) what you would like to know more about.  Cindy is a great Olympian!!  And an inspiration to us all!  However, she is joined by a Team of similarly spirited athletes and we all need to learn more.

Are they going to win medals??  You betcha!  And I, for one, can’t wait to watch them do it!

Thank you, merci!