Olympic medallist from Sherwood Park heads to Paris to strike gold again

First clip was nan charm for Olympic jock Kelsey Mitchell. The Sherwood Park cyclist won golden astatine her first-ever Olympics successful Tokyo and now she is headed to nan Olympics again pinch precocious hopes of winning different badge successful way cycling.

“Obviously I want to spell and I want to repeat,” she told Global News astatine Noon Edmonton connected Tuesday. “But it’s been an up-and-down roller-coaster this past year, battling immoderate injuries. Just not emotion myself connected nan bike.

“But we’re starting to travel around. My legs are emotion good, truthful I’m really hoping to spell retired location and springiness my absolute best, and I cognize what I’m tin of. So we’ll see.”

Mitchell said astir erstwhile she won a golden badge successful nan women’s outpouring way cycling arena astatine nan Tokyo Olympics.

“It was incredible,” she recalled.

“It was specified a magical moment. But since then, I’ve conscionable learned truthful overmuch that I sewage to bask nan travel and bask nan process.”

Mitchell said she is going into these Olympics pinch a different mindset. She tin only power what she tin power and plans to springiness her best. In nan past, that has proven to beryllium nan champion successful nan world.

“A batch of group whitethorn not triumph a golden medal, but they’re going done different things successful their lives,” she said. “And, conscionable to travel retired of it a amended and happier personification is benignant of nan goal. And so, I’m excited to spell into these Olympics.”

Mitchell leaves for Paris connected July 28. She won’t beryllium staying successful nan Olympic Village, but said she is OK pinch that.

“I get distracted easily, truthful I’ll beryllium hyper-focused — locked in. Aand we’re for illustration nan past week of competition,” she said. “Our past time of racing will really beryllium erstwhile nan closing ceremonies are arsenic well.

“So we get in, get nan occupation done — hopefully — and past observe after.”

This clip will beryllium different for Mitchell and her family. Since nan Tokyo Olympics took spot during nan COVID-19 pandemic, Mitchell’s family was not capable to travel cheer her on. Now her parents will beryllium heading to Paris and Mitchell said she is excited to person that support.

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“Obviously during COVID we couldn’t person them there,” she said.

In 2020, Global News interviewed Mitchell’s parents arsenic they watched her race. It was an breathtaking and affectional time, cheering her connected from afar.

At nan clip her dad, Brent Mitchell, was affectional arsenic he recounted nan infinitesimal she won.

“You are truthful excited and past you extremity and think, ‘It’s an Olympic golden medal,'” he said.

“We each wanted to beryllium location pinch her. We person tickets booked and everything, but we couldn’t.” Val Mitchell, Kelsey’s mother, said astatine nan time.

With little than 10 days until nan opening of nan Paris Olympics, Mitchell said she hopes Canadians are getting excited.

“Hopefully group tin get down that and beryllium excited astir that and cheer connected their Canadian athletes.”