A moment I'll never forget

Being named Vancouver 2010 Olympic Flag Bearer for Team Canada was a moment I’ll never forget. It was an honour that left me… nervous! I had my first race 36 hours after the Opening Ceremony and began to worry I wouldn’t be able to perform to my potential with such a short window of time. My friends from Squamish Nation reached out to me when they saw how nervous I was. They offered friendship and support to help me ‘open my heart and mind’ to the experience of competing at home. With their support, I realized I could indeed do it all. If I wished strength for everyone around me and allowed people to support me, I could have the races I knew lay waiting inside. I’d worked so long for this moment of skating at home.

Thanks to my friends, the magic happened and I had two of the best races of my life after walking into BC place, into our Games, at Vancouver 2010.

- Clara Hughes, 6x Olympic medallist, cycling & speed skating