Columns
September 04, 2008 12:00 AM
By: Jim Mason
A friend was asked where he was from most recently.
“Stouffville” came the response, proudly.
“Oh, the home of our silver medallist in Beijing.”
Yesiree, Bob.
Someone like Karen Cockburn, she of medals from the last three Summer Games, can do that for a community.
Politicians line up to pass on congratulations. Readers want to know more about her. There are rumours of civic ceremony and congratulatory parties, all in her honour.
She puts us on the map.
It’s as if we were the capital of trampoline, Ms Cockburn’s passion. Sure, there are as many of the back yard jumping apparatus in my neighbourhood as any where else in Canada.
But that distinction belongs to neighbouring Richmond Hill, where our Canadian medallists train at a private club. It’s also as if Karen’s a lifer here in the land of Country Close to the City. Truth is, she moved here last year with her new husband, Olympic bronze medallist Mathieu Turgeon.
Not that we haven’t adopted her, and with good reason.
Karen Cockburn is everything Olympic sport should be and was the perfect choice to carry our country’s flag at the closing ceremonies in China.
Three Games, three medals.
And in a sport that is more amateur than most. This wasn’t a dream team of NBAers or NHLers taking a week off from counting their cash in the big leagues to compete. This was solo trampoline; a lot of bouncing, a tiny suit and plenty of air.
The Cockburn-Turgeons have been most gracious in their adopting of Stouffville as home, too.
They give freely of their time for interviews with The Sun-Tribune, especially sports editor Mike Hayakawa.
And they are forever mentioning they live in Stouffville. Make that “Home of Karen Cockburn.”
Jim Mason is editor of the Stouffville Sun-Tribune.