OLYMPICS

“The people that actually made it there, they each have an incredible story of what they had to get through to qualify. I think there is a genuine relief and joy to be in Tokyo, actually competing at the Olympics.”

Ken Bagnell

President of Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic

“In the last year what has changed is people's training because there was no competition. This also caused a delay in the qualifications for people to get to Tokyo. The uncertainty has been the primary theme through COVID. Those dates were changed any number of times.

“The people that actually made it there, they each have an incredible story of what they had to get through to qualify. I think there is a genuine relief and joy to be in Tokyo, actually

competing at the Olympics.

“Such a long road to get to the Olympics in the best of times, when you're dealing with the worst of times, it's craziness.”

And these Nova Scotians passed the test,

Bagnell said the CSCA has seen more than Nova Scotian athletes walk through their doors over this Olympic cycle. He said the Centre has supported almost a fifth of Canada's Olympic athletes in the lead-up to the Games.

“We have either here at the CSCA in Halifax, or through our staff, supported over 70 athletes who are in Tokyo,”

said Bagnell. “The women's softball team was here, the gymnastics team, the badminton team, all of the canoe team and the sailing teams have been here.”

There are other athletes to watch that have local ties. Swimmer Sydney Pickrem, whose parents lived in Halifax, runner Lauren Gale, parents from Sydney, and Ghislaine Landry, a rugby star at St. Francis Xavier, are three such athletes.

With competition underway, athletes like Black can finally get down to business. The Games are on. The athletes can compete against their international rivals, something the pandemic hasn't allowed for over 18 months.

Black probably speaks for all Olympians when she talks about competing.

"I'm really glad now we're about to have a competition and we can just focus on looking forward to that."