Many stories, anecdotes and reflections have surfaced over the past days expressing the deep-rooted relationships that many Canadians were lucky to share with Randy. Like many of my fellow teammates and Canadian athletes, I am finding difficulty in precisely captivating the emotion towards how I feel about Randy’s passing.
As I read through the stories recently written about Randy, I reminisce of my own relationship that I have been fortunate to share with Randy. He really did care. His mission was centered on injecting purpose into his work, far beyond the ‘simplicity’ of results and medals.
Randy had the unique ability to create an environment where I genuinely wanted to share my story. I tend to shy away from most media requests; Randy’s visits and phone calls were ones I looked forward to. He made me feel as though the path I am on really means something. He saw purpose far beyond the often narrow focus of winning. He understood the grounding elements behind each athlete’s story and was able to share that in a way unparalleled by others.
My own special memories of Randy are simple. For instance, when passing him before my Olympic races in Vancouver, our eyes briefly connected, as he gave me a head nod. It felt like he was willing me along my Olympic journey. Another outstanding memory is when I received a package in the mail from him, containing Ghirardelli chocolate chips. During a visit, over tea and muffins, he told me he made the best chocolate chip cookies ever, and Ghirardelli chips were his secret ingredient.
Just this morning, I woke up to hear that I have been selected as the recipient of the annual Oscar Mathisen Memorial Award. This award represents the outstanding speed skating performance of the season. As soon as I read this from my twitter, I immediately thought of Randy, and wished I could share it with him. Just like this award is in memory of a great speed skating legend, Randy has become a legend worthy of memorial for his outstanding journalism, his humanitarianism, and his person.
It makes me smile to read the stories that are coming out about the quirky little things he did, the jokes he would tell, and the teasing he could laugh about. I know that more stories will continue to surface as we will never lose sight of the openness and friendship that Randy has sparked throughout the entire sporting community.
Thanks for being you.
Christine