Recognition of Excellence for Elouise

Elouise Stewart recently returned from a trip she will never forget.

A Special Olympian medalist in 2013 and 2017, Stewart, was one of 94 Team Canada members who attended a special ceremony on November 29 in the House of Commons.

Receiving an invite in early October from the Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, to be recognized for her trio of medals she won in Austria as well as being a member of Team Canada; Stewart says it was an incredible experience.The athletes made quite a statement as they entered. "We walked into the House of Commons and all the MPs stood up and gave us a standing ovation and the Speaker gave us a speech about Canada being proud of our accomplishments."

A reception afterwards which included MPs from across the country and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was a highlight for Stewart. "I got to shake his hand (Justin Trudeau) and he gave me a hug and that was really cool."

Stewart shares, Trudeau was nice and showed genuine interest in the athletes. "He seemed to be really caring, they (his staff) were trying to pull him away and he was trying to stay with us, I guess he had somewhere else he had to go but he just kept staying with us."

While Stewart did not feel nervous she recognizes it was a huge deal. "It is an experience I will never forget. It did mean something, it was something special."

Stewart is currently forerunning for the Para Nordic World Cup over the next two weeks and is spending this year training for an Olympic triathlon. She will have a couple Alberta Cup races to compete in but it will be predominantly a training year for the Olympian.