London's own Maggie Mac Neil comes home with every colour medal
Olympian Maggie Mac Neil came home this weekend after receiving a gold, silver and bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Although tired and getting use to the time change, Mac Neil spoke with Ken and Loreena on News Talk 1290 CJBK early Tuesday morning.
With the pandemic, she told CJBK, "I pretty much didn't go in with any expectations because of the year that we had."
No expectations, but she came home with three medals to her name:
- Gold: Women's 100m butterfly
- Silver: Women's 4x100m freestyle relay
- Bronze: Women's 4x100m medley relay
With those medals has come new-found fame. She got a bit of a taste of it after winning worlds in 2019, but now she's a well-known Canadian, even getting a follow on Instagram from Ryan Reynolds, and having a brief conversation with him via direct messaging.
"I was getting so many followers a day but I kept scrolling and I was like, I found it and I was, it was just shocking. I told him The Proposal was one of my favorite movies, so I was like I texted him that and he's like, 'Oh, I love that movie too,' so it was really it was really cool."
As her hometown of London cheered her on, she also took time to speak to swimmers that she once swam with saying, "I was where they are. If you want to do something and put your mind to it, you can accomplish whatever you want."
Mac Neil claimed she's a 'swim nerd' who's constantly checking stats to see what she can do to get better.
The 21-year-old said the team had a final debriefing after the competition, counting down the two years plus until the next Olympics, but also making sure to enjoy the moment.
Although there was talk of Mac Neil being the flag bearer at the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Committee rules state that Olympians must depart within 24-48 hours of their final competition due to COVID-19 regulations.
Now that she's home, she assumes it will be one of the Olympians who is still in Tokyo.
What is the Olympian going to do now that she's home?
"Probably chill out, maybe take a nap at some point…have a campfire and a homemade drive-in with some of my friends."
- With files from CTV News London's Brent Lale
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.