By Kyle
I think Gaetan Boucher is a great athlete in Speed Skating. He inspired me in a way to never give up on things that you want or need to do. For example, Rick Hansen ended up in a wheelchair after being in a car crash. He never gave up. He just kept fighting until he got stronger and showed other people what he could do. Most people in the world can’t do what he or Boucher has done. People don’t think of it as an important fact. They just think of it as hobbies but its not. They want to show what people can really do with their time and effort. It takes a lot of hard work to do what they have done in their lifetime. I am inspired on what I have learned about these two people. It also makes me think that if I don’t give up on something I want to do I will get it done as long as I keep trying. It just takes time.
Gaetan Boucher was born in Charlesbourg, Quebec, Canada. He started doing Speed Skating at younger age of 17 and came in 15th and won two gold medals at the age of 25. Boucher made World Sprint Champion as well a runner up four times, he made 10th of Canada's male athletes. Boucher made a record of most medals won in a single Olympic. He inspired me by not giving up when he had a broken ankle. He carried the Canadian Flag at the age of 26. Boucher made two world records during his career. He also showed Canadians that they could win medals and make achievements to raise money. Boucher's toughest moment was when he broke his ankle. He wished he could go back and do the race over again. During Boucher's career he won two gold, one bronze, and one silver medal. He won the most medals in one Olympic then anyone else back in the 80's.
I picked Gaetan Boucher as a Canadian athlete because he showed me he wasn't giving up even though he was injured. He will be at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics during the games as an interpreter for the French. He was in the past Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck 1976, Lake Placid in 1980, Sarajevo in 1984, and Calgary in 1988. He has showed lots of hard work out of his career. He earned the bronze medal in the 500 metre and won a gold medal in the 1,000 metre and two days later he won a second gold medal in the 1,500 metre race. He received a standing ovation from the crowd when he made his fourth and final appearance in Calgary during the 1988 Winter Games.
Gaetan Boucher now lives near Montreal designing skates for Bauer, a hockey equipment maker. He will be on the ice for the 2010 Olympics to talk about the medals he's won and lost. His favorite memory was lining up for the 1,000 metre race in Sarajevo and knowing he was about to win, thinking he wasn't there to lose. He went from being a speed skater for Canada and now designs hockey skates. Boucher fulfilled his dream in 1984 when he won two gold medals. He became one of the finest athletes Canada had back in the mid 1980's. Boucher was a world class athlete in the way his training showed off his ability and his strengths. When he was at the age of 18, he wanted to jump from National Champion to World Champion in his sport.
I admire Gaetan Boucher because he won the most medals in one Olympic season. I also admire him because he never gave up and kept trying even though he hit hard times. He continues to do what he loves even though he's a retired athlete. I know he has a passion for skating because even though he's too old to skate in the Olympics, he still works with skates. He became 10th on Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century. I admire the way he always thought positive about his races and how his dreams came true in the end. His life has impacted me with the sport he played and the way he looked at his life. I admire the way he always tried to do the best he can without giving up. I would like to be more like him in the way he plays sports. I play Basketball, Floor Hockey, Sledge Hockey, Hand Ball, Tennis, Baseball, and Track and Field. I would like to try and play one of these sports in the Olympics. I would also like to share the same way he looks at life in that he's always positive and never gives up on things when his life gets tough. Gaetan Boucher is a great athlete because not only is he talented, he's also a good person who motivates others to succeed.