An exhausted Mark McMorris returned home to Regina Saturday in what was likely one of the softest landings the Olympic bronze medalist has had in recent weeks.
The 20-year-old snowboarder was excited to see so many fans at the Regina airport.
“To be able to inspire those kids that you can get to an Olympic level or you can get to a world stage is pretty heartwarming to me,” McMorris said.
School teacher April Stanton was one of the fans in line for an autograph. Her grade seven and eight class made their own Olympic newspaper for McMorris to sign.
“They’re probably going to lose their minds. They’re going to scream and they’re going to jump up and down, and we’re going to display this for the school,” she said. “It’s going to be amazing. They would never, ever, ever think this would be a reality.”
McMorris’s parents, Don and Cindy McMorris, who travelled back from Sochi earlier than their son, were also at the airport.
“We’ve been to many competitions, X-games, Dew Tours. We were nervous at those, but it was nothing like this, just because of the expectation of the whole country on him,” said Don, who is also Saskatchewan’s highways minister. “The whole country isn’t watching the X-games, but the whole country was watching the Olympics. So for us, when it was over, it was just pure relief.”
Mark was a favourite to win the slopestyle snowboarding gold medal until he fractured a rib at the X-games just weeks before the games.
“It wasn’t pain free, to say the least, but I was able to make it happen,” he said.
The snowboarding celebrity said he’s now eager to just sit at home, relax and eat a home-cooked meal.
“Sit at the table and have my mom cook me dinner,” he laughed when asked what he’s most excited to do at home.
