Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue had been there before. But Sochi was a first for another Olympian from Southern Ontario. 22-year old Travis Gerrits from Milton was competing in the men’s freestyle ski competition Monday morning. And he was backed by a huge crowd, in his hometown of Milton.
It took Travis Gerrits more than half of his life to get to this day. Since the age of 11, he’s been training for his Olympic moment.
If it “takes a village” to raise a child — then it takes a town like Milton — to raise and support an Olympic athlete. Stacey Newman is just one of dozens of local volunteers who give their time freely to support the dream. As they sell photos signed by Travis, young fans sign their own message of encouragement, for him.
Stacey Newman: We’ve seen first hand how important it is to have that support network and we’re thrilled to see them all there.
Travis — his parents, and his brother — who is shooting a documentary on the experience — are all in Sochi. His grandparents, however, are here in Milton — watching every run, intently. The crowd cheers every time they hear Travis’ name — as he moves to another round in the men’s freestyle ski competition.
If the enthusiasm of fans was part of the equation — this would easily drive Travis to the top of the podium. But this day, does not belong to the hometown favourite.
Travis is pushed out of the final round — and finishes his Olympic odyssey in seventh place. Although they are disappointed for Travis, they are proud of his effort:
Carol Anne Ferrari is a fan. “You can’t be disappointed. He did his best. He worked very hard. He’s had a lot of people supporting him, and it’s great that the town of Milton showed up for him.”
Pauline Ullman is from Milton. “I’m really happy for Travis! I’m happy that he follows his dreams.”
Joe Danowski is a grandfather. “I was hopin’ he’d take it but — he did great. To see the support from the Milton fans, and everybody else — is somethin’ else.”
Something that Milton isn’t ready to let go just yet. Mike Ferrari is also a fan: “Hopefully — good luck in South Korea, four years from now.”
Travis finished seventh in the competition. And while he undoubtedly would have loved to reach the podium — his results are not a disappointment. He’s won a world cup event — but he’s still relatively new to this level of competition. That won’t be the case four years from now — and if Travis is still willing, you know the people of Milton, are more than able to back him, all the way to South Korea.
