'It’s just totally surreal': Gold-medal Olympian returns home to Calgary
The Tokyo Olympics ended in gold for Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, but she almost didn’t have the chance to earn the medal.
Gruchalla-Wesierski and her team snagged gold in the women’s eight rowing final, the first time for Canada in 29 years in that event.
“It’s just totally surreal… I just can’t quite believe it,” said Gruchalla-Wesierski.
The 30-year-old recalls the team starting off strong in the race.
“Ok, we're beating really fast crews out of the start, this is a really, really great way to start a race,” said Gruchalla-Wesierski.
“The middle 1,000’s kind of our bread and butter and so once we were ahead there I was like, ‘Nobody’s going to walk through us today.’”
“We could see Kasia in the boat in quite a lot of the shots,” said Tad Gruchalla-Wesierski, Kasia’s father. “Christina’s going, ‘There’s Kasia, we’re doing great.’”
Gruchalla-Wesierski had to push herself especially hard to make it to the Olympics, six weeks before the finals, she was in a cycling accident.
“The x-rays came in, she said her clavicle’s broken, and I just thought, ‘That’s it, her dream is done,’” said Tad Gruchalla-Wesierski.
Instead of giving up on her Olympic dream, Gruchalla-Wesierski’s team decided she would get surgery.
After 57 stitches and recovery time, the rower worked to re-earn her spot on the boat. She arrived in Tokyo 10 days after the rest of her team did.
“Luckily I have an amazing support team within Rowing Canada and a bunch of other surgeons in my circle,” said Gruchalla-Wesierski.
“We're just so proud of her and so grateful that things worked out,” added Tad Gruchalla-Wesierski.
The rower arrived home in Calgary to the cheers of friends and family, celebrating her win.
“I'm just so excited to see everybody and to share this moment with them,” said Gruchalla-Wesierski.
She planned to indulge in sleep, beer and poutine, along with spending time with family and friends.
With files from CTV News Calgary’s Kathy Le
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.