What makes an medal winning athlete? Sometimes having a hometown behind you makes all the difference. These winter athletes come from some great Ontario cities, towns and villages. Here’s a peek at just a few of the Ontario athletes, and the places they got their start:
Mike Smith
Sport: Hockey
Hometown: Kingston, Ontario
Hometown of Doug Gilmour and Don Cherry, Kingstonians love their hockey. In 1886 Queen’s University students played their first game of hockey against cadets from the Royal Military College, a match on Kingston’s harbour that is sometimes referred to as the first hockey game in Canada. The game is commemorated every year by the two schools in a competition for the Carr-Harris Cup.
Brad Jacobs, E.J. Harnden, Ryan Harnden and Ryan Fry
Sport: Curling
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Twitter: @BradJacobs15, @eharnden83, @ryantharden, @ryanfry
The curling world of the Soo is an exciting one, with the Soo Bonspiel Association hosting events and competitions throughout the winter season. Sault Ste Marie celebrates winter annually with the Bon Soo Festival, bringing to life the city’s celebration of winter.
Cody Sorensen
Sport: Bobsleigh
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
Twitter: @codes11
Ottawa is the perfect place to grow up with a love for winter sports. Named by MSN.ca as one of Canada’s top winter festivals, Winterlude celebrates the season with ice sculptures, beaver tails, and skating on the world’s largest outdoor skating rink, the Rideau Canal.
Patrick Chan
Sport: Men’s Figure Skating
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Twitter: @pchiddy
With 51 rinks, from winding skating trails to boarded hockey pads to the popular rectangle under the arches at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto has enough rinks to keep you skating on different ice each day this winter.
Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir
Sport: Figure Skating
Hometown: London, Ontario
Bustling with energy, arts and culture, London, Ontario is an inspiring setting. The trails on the banks of the Thames River are the perfect place to get active.
Meet more Ontario & Canadian athletes on the Official Canadian Olympic Team website. Where will you be cheering on our athletes from?