Okanagan Olympian returns to her roots

Reporter/Anchor  Global News

Olympic gold medallist Kelsey Serwa returned to Big White on Sunday to sign autographs and meet fans.

Bryon McLuckie / Global News

Okanagan athlete Kelsey Serwa received a hero’s homecoming on Sunday after her Olympic win.

The ski cross gold medallist returned to the Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna on Sunday to meet fans and sign autographs.

READ MORE: Okanagan fans celebrate Serwa’s Olympic gold medal win



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“It’s wonderful to come back to the community where it all started for me,” Kelsey said. “I grew up on the slopes of Big White. To come home and get a welcome like this, and to get showered with gifts, it’s so unbelievable.”

“My heart is full.”

Kelsey, her parents and her 82-year-old grandfather planned to ski the Serwa run on Big White, which is named for Kelsey’s grandfather Cliff Serwa, a co-founder of the mountain.

“It’s just really special. There’s a big sense of community here at Big White, a big sense of family, and I wouldn’t want to be from anyplace else,” Kelsey said.

READ MORE: Here’s what Canada did while you were sleeping on Day 14 of the 2018 Winter Olympics

Big White plans to add a run named for the Olympian. The name of the Serwa run was temporarily changed to honour Kelsey after her big win.

“We’re going to sit down this summer and map out an area to cut a new run,” Kelsey said.

READ MORE: 2 Okanagan athletes on Canada’s Olympic ski cross team

For Kelsey’s mom, Terri Serwa, watching her daughter finish first in Pyeongchang was an unforgettable moment.

“We still can’t believe it. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. It definitely is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.

“We were jubilant. I mean, you couldn’t have written a better story,” Kelsey’s father, Brad Serwa, added.

READ MORE: 2018 Olympic athlete Kelsey Serwa: Olympic silver medallist heads back to the Games

Hundreds of young fans lined up for an autograph from the Olympian.

“It’s not only our duty, but it’s a privilege to give back to the community that has given us so much, so if I can in turn inspire one of these kids to follow their dreams, then that’s an accomplishment above and beyond the medal,” Kelsey said.