A day that began with dreams, ended with nightmares
Wednesday morning in Milan had the flavor of the Olympic Games. Until the news came from the other side of the ocean. A violent event at a school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, changed the whole mood.
Canadian athletes and fans woke up to a harsh blow of reality. Far from home, but with my heart set there. The authorities confirmed the unthinkable: several people dead, more than 25 injured.
“It’s very unusual and hard to hear,” said Thomas Hepworth, from near Milan’s Duomo. “It’s not something you’d expect to hear anywhere in Canada, let alone in a small community.”
Hepworth, a scientist living in Germany, was there to watch the men’s hockey team. One of the gold favorites. But at that time, sports results took a backseat.
The response from the Olympic village
The Canadian Olympic Committee was quick to react. He issued a statement full of pain and solidarity.
“We are devastated by the news of the horrible event that occurred in British Columbia,” they said. “Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones, with those who are injured and with the entire community.”
The message was clear: “Team Canada stands with all those affected as they navigate the difficult days ahead.”
Tumbler Ridge is more than 1,000 kilometers north of Vancouver. A small community, with a school of only 175 students. The kind of place where no one expects something like this to happen.
Now Canadian athletes compete with an extra burden on their shoulders. They not only carry the colors of their country, but also the pain of their people. The sport continues, but some matches now have a completely different meaning.
