A dream come true ...

Riley's Facebook message says ... "a dream come true- thank you everyone for your support". To me, its the most telling indicator of what has transpired this past weekend and over the past ten years and of interest is what it means to Riley. A childhood dream to become an Olympian has been realized and its both the dream and the recognition of thanks in one sentence that makes a mother very proud.

I've taken a day to collect my thoughts before posting. Its been a whirlwind of congratulatory emails, hugs and handshakes and I've been trying to process it all. I am the mother of an Olympian. How cool is that??? I am hugely proud of what Riley has accomplished.

I find myself thinking back to all the hard work, missed play dates and birthday parties when he had to practise, friends calling and saying before he could finish the sentence "I know, you can't come, you have to go to the pool". I think of the scared voice on the end of the phone calling from Vancouver International Airport saying he couldn't find his flight to Australia and what gate should he go to? I'm thinking of the bitter disappointment and hurt in his voice when he lost his first national championship on the 1 metre (he to this day hates the 1 metre!) in London Ontario at 13 - "mom why did the crowd cheer so loud when I lost?" not yet understanding the role of the underdog in human nature. Ironically 4 years earlier he was the darling of the crowd in that very same pool, a cute 9 year old at his first Canada Games.

This weekend the crowd was with him and it felt incredible. Sitting in the stands surrounded by friends and family with many more glued to the Internet and cheering from their special place was "like a village" of support. There are so many people that have been a part of this journey and I know that Riley understands the importance of each and everyone. Being an elite athlete requires a certain degree of selfishness to ensure peak performance. Sometimes as a mother its difficult to accept behaviour that is self directed so when I see the recognition and a simple thank you only hours after the biggest day of his life, I feel great as a mother, not just the mother of an Olympian.

Thanks to all of you for your support and kind words.