Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski touched down at home late Monday oh-so tired but oh-so proud of the Olympic journey just completed. Her hubby-to-be gave the Calgary rower a grand hug — symbolic of the embrace millions of Canadians sent her way for once again doing the country a solid at the Summer Olympiad. “Feelin’ pretty great,” said Gruchalla-Wesierski, just moments after walking through the arrivals door — with silver medal in hand — at Calgary International Airport.
“It’s been 24 hours of travel, so I’m really excited to go home and just chill out a little bit,” continued the 33-year-old. “It’s been a pretty crazy week after our final — all good things, but we’ve just been partying maybe a little bit too much.” Indeed, that was obvious from her voice — raspy from plenty of ‘le bonheur’ in Paris after stroking with Canada’s women’s eight crew to silver medals nine days earlier.
But Gruchalla-Wesierski was at least audible in the aftermath of the celebrations, unlike fellow rower Jessica Sevick, when the Strathmore rower was met with a hero’s welcome at her drop-off point in Toronto earlier Monday. “It was just such a grind,” said Sevick, with barely a voice left to answer CBC at Pearson International Airport. “We just took the time to celebrate and enjoy our last couple of hours this week together.
” And why not? Sevick, Gruchalla-Wesierski and others of the women’s eight boat go down in history as members of Canada’s best-ev.