It was a golden moment for Paralympic skier Natalie Wilkie and her hometown fans basked in the reflected glow following Saturday night’s winning race.
The hometown crowd came out in force to cheer on Wilkie at a special viewing at the SASCU Recreation Centre as she raced her way to the gold medal in the Women’s 7.5km Classic, Standing, at the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympics.
Wilkie finished the race with a final time of 22:12.2 while fellow Canadian Emily Young finished in the bronze medal spot with a time of 22:13.9.
Related link: Paralympian Natalie Wilkie races to the podium
These two medals bring Team Canada up to a medal count of 24, putting them in third place behind the team of Neutral Paralympic Athletes and the United States.
The room was filled with excited cheers and deafening applause as Wilkie came upon the finish line with a clear lead on the competition.
It was soon confirmed by officials that Wilkie claimed the gold and it was obvious by the energy in the room that the community is extremely proud of the young skier.
Wilkie is still scheduled to ski in a relay event – her last of the Games.
