Diver Meaghan Benfeito has Olympic medals returned after devastating fire
In February, Olympic diver Meaghan Benfeito lost all her possessions in a Mirabel fire, including her 3 Olympic medals.
The Montreal native medaled in the 2012 London Olympics and twice in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, among other high-level international competitions.
But all those trophies were lost when her condo went up in flames in a devastating fire.
“Medals don't always mean a lot to everybody, but to athletes, they mean absolutely everything It's years of hard work,” she said Tuesday.
It’s been an emotional year for the diver who shed a tear when presented with her new medals, recast and returned to her. The International Olympics Committee and the Canadian Olympics Committee worked hard to make this day happen.
"I wouldn’t be able to push through not only a difficult year but I think there’s been a bunch of things thrown at me. So thank you and I will do everything in my capability to win two more medals this summer so that we can celebrate even more,” she said, expressing gratitude to the committees and her family for their support.
She says this is another obstacle overcome, and she's ready for the next one. She is already fully vaccinated and qualified for the Tokyo games, her fourth Olympics.
Now, she’s just waiting for the word "go" to see if the games will begin.
“I come to do training, do what I have to do. If they're on, I'll be ecstatic, [but] if they're not, it's out of my control,” she said. “As long as I do whatever I have to do to be ready if they're on.”
She hopes to add to her collection, one she once thought was lost forever.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
William Nylander stood in a solemn visitors locker room at TD Garden just before midnight. The Maple Leafs had battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss. Nylander's message was emphatic.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.