An Olympic gold medallist received a hero’s welcome home tonight at Joyland Beach in Ramara Township.
Erin Ambrose, a key player for the Canadian women’s hockey team that won gold at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, was honoured Wednesday night with a walk-by parade in her Ramara Township neighbourhood. The Keswick native has been living in the area with her mother and stepfather for about seven years.
“To be honest, I’m not here much of the year with my training in Toronto and Montreal,” she said. “But being able to come here to disconnect and be on the water is something special.”
Ambrose says having the support of the local community means the world to her.
“We as players always talk about the support we have from all of Canada,” she said. “I don’t think we really realize it until we get home. I’m honoured to have people supporting me and coming here to say hi.”
That was on display Wednesday when dozens of neighbours and friends, many carry Canadian flags, stopped by the Ambrose home to fete the Olympic star.
Joyland Beach resident Andrew Westelaken says Ambrose gave the neighbourhood a reason to come together during the Olympics.
"We wanted to get together and show Erin how much we appreciate her," he said. "We are incredibly proud of her."
Dave Beck, who helped organize the walk, says all TV sets in the neighbourhood — like most in Canada — were turned to the Olympics when Ambrose and her team took to the ice.
"I bet you Joyland Beach will never see another gold medal," he said. "Unless she brings it home four years from now."
The 27-year-old defenceman netted nine points in seven games during her Olympic debut. The experience, both on and off the ice, was unforgettable, Ambrose says.
“It was one of the coolest experiences of my life,” she said. “Being there with our group and the success of everything was really special.”
Being in the Olympic bubble for two weeks can lead to feelings of isolation, Ambrose says. Fortunately, she was never alone.
“I was fortunate to have three roommates,” she said. “It was kind of like a dorm-style and it was a lot of fun to be with each other and decompress after games and on off days.”
Staying in the Olympic bubble and all the hard work along the path to the Olympics was worth it for Ambrose, especially when the gold medal went around her neck.
“There isn’t quite words to describe that feeling,” she said. “It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. Coming home with a gold medal is something that I don’t know if I’ll ever comprehend how special it is and how much it means to me.”
With the Olympics behind her, Ambrose will continue to advocate and push for a professional women’s hockey league.
“I think as a group we need to be able to compete against the best players day in and day out and do it to the best of our abilities,” she said. “As high-performance athletes, we need to make sure we get that league no matter what it takes.”
Ambrose says competing with players like Sarah Nurse and Marie-Philip Poulin makes her a better hockey player.
“I could go on about every single player on our team,” she said.” They all have an importance and impact on our gold medal and also me on my life.”
