KARA GRANT
The Guardian, February 21, 2010
I’m very proud of the Canadians athletes who have stepped up and performed at the Vancouver Olympics. The pressure to win Gold at the Olympic Games, hosted here in Canada, is enormous. Despite less than satisfactory results thus far, the enthusiasm for the Olympics has grown in the city and crowds are huge.
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Cauldron
I’m impressed with the general patience and good will of those taking part in the fun. Not everyone is interested in waiting in line to visit pavilions and exclusive night clubs, so thousands of people spend hours milling around, simply soaking up the atmosphere. It’s impossible to walk down the street in downtown Vancouver without hearing the National Anthem and giving a high five to a couple of flag bearing Captain Canadas. Many of these people visit the Olympic cauldron at all hours of the day and night as it’s a sight to be seen, fence and all.
Kara in Can Fund athlete lounge on the 11th floor of the Shaw Building
Looking down over the cauldron from the 11th floor of the Shaw building is the Canadian Athletes Now, (CAN Fund) Athlete Lounge. This incredible spot and everything in it were donated to provide a haven for athletes and their family and friends during the Olympics. It is a wonderful respite from the craziness below, while still taking in and being a part of the Olympic action. 
The CAN Fund was set up in 1997 and has since raised 10 million dollars for Canadian athletes such as myself, Beijing 2008 Gold medal winning rowing men’s eight, who have publicly attributed part of their success to the CAN Fund and of course every single 2010 Canadian Winter Olympian who applied. Initiatives range from “Donate your sport number” for the everyday person to the “Sprott Gold Medal Celebration” whereby the Sprott Foundation is donating $100,000 for every Gold Medal won by the Canadian Olympic Team in 2010. I left the lounge for the Curling venue, thankful and resolved to do my part in the years to come. My knowledge of curling is limited and I have yet to throw a rock myself so I was hoping to be inspired by what is likely the only winter Olympic sport team with spots for the young at heart. The Canadian men were facing Britain and there wasn’t a seat to be had in the house. Wayne Gretzky made an appearance, much to the delight of the crowd who chanted his name. I was impressed that the curling players, bafflement and amusement in evidence, were able to focus so well, since it was clear that this was not a typical curling crowd. I’m not sure if they’ve ever had “The Wave” at a curling venue. It was a very close match and with only a few rocks to go, the crowd broke into a spontaneous “O Canada”.
Kevin Martin rink defeats Britain!
Play stopped for about 20 seconds and I like to think that the Canadian people did their part to help the Canada defeat Britain. I will be following closely as the curling competition progresses and hoping to see the Sprott Gold Medal Celebration donation increase by $100,000 courtesy of the Kevin Martin Rink.
