Canadian Skier Pulls Disabled Brother Over Security Barrier to Celebrate Gold Medal Together

[big_dog]

A gold medalist Canadian freestyle skier had only one person that he wanted to celebrate with after completing his near-perfect run in Sochi: his disabled brother. Alex Bilodeau has spoken countless times about how he is so close with his brother Frederic, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age and told he would not be able to walk beyond the age of 12, yet more than 15 years later he is still able to do so.
When 26-year-old Alex made the final stop at the end of the mountain, he immediately ran over to his brother and pulled him over the barrier so that they could celebrate together.


'Just like you or I, he has dreams and most of them are not realisable to him but he does dream about it, he talks about it and he never complains that it's not realistic to him,’ Alex said of his brother. 'Every day I feel very lucky to be a normal person that has the chance to go after his dreams, and he doesn't have that chance. So out of respect to him, I need to go after that and with his motivation he would be four-time Olympic champion.



'It's crazy the motivation that he takes and every step is very hard for him. In life, I have an easy path and I need to go out there and do the best I can just out of respect to him. 'He lives his dreams through me. (Two gold medals) is the least I can do, he's my every day inspiration.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2556811/Canadian-freestyle-skier-dedicates-gold-medal-brother-cerebral-palsy.html#ixzz2t3oW4uVK

[joeybee12]

1. Nice story...knr

[big_dog]

2. beautful stuff

[longship]

8. Must be the onions....

Thanks for the pics.

[progressoid]

17. Yeah, who's cutting onions in my office?

[bemildred]

3. KnR nt

[justiceischeap]

4. Those Canadians are winning all kinds of humanity points today. nt

[big_dog]

5. Canada is on FIRE.... lol K&R :)

?w=680&h=462

[justiceischeap]

6. I like their coats and mittens but feel really bad

for that lady in white.

[oshma]

9. One would really think the Russians would do better for cold weather costumes

(One would really think the Russians would do better for things like toilets and running water, also, but I digress.)

[calimary]

12. Welcome to DU, oshma!

Glad you're here! GREAT thread! And yeah, one would think a presumed world power (at least they have been) would do at least some of the basics well. It's not as though somebody surprised them with the Winter Olympics about a month-and-a-half ago. They've had years to get ready.

[oshma]

18. Thanks for the welcome!

Years and billions of (some currency) and...Soviet-era fusterclucks.

[arcane1]

13. Her expression appears to agree with you

[SunSeeker]

7. ...

[LibDemAlways]

10. I was watching last night and the love

those brothers have for each other was just great to watch. Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing..

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

20. Yeah, you could hear his brother cheering him on in the background.

[GoCubsGo]

11. That was a great story to wake up to!

I was hoping Alex would medal.

[sheshe2]

14. This is indeed going for the gold!

Alex and Frederic Bilodeau

[burrowowl]

15. Beautiful! K&R

[go west young man]

16. Goodwill towards Russia thread.

Also regards a Russian (infant) with cerebral palsy. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024480724

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. There seem to be lots of great Canadian stories in these Olympics:

1. Gilmore Junio gave his spot to Denny Morrison because he knew Morrison was the team's best skater. Morrison wasn't even supposed to compete in the 1,000.

Denny Morrison won Silver in the event.

2. Two sisters from Quebec won Gold and Silver in one event on the first day, one where a third sister competed as well.

3. Russian skier Anton Gafarov broke a ski but kept on skiing trying to at least finish. Justin Wadsworth, the Canadian coach, gave him a fresh ski to replace it and enabled Gafarov to finish with dignity.

[big_dog]

21. amazing sisters

what talent in one family!