Gilmore Junio
Speed Skating — Three-Time Olympian
Beijing 2022 Olympian
PyeongChang 2018 Olympian
Sochi 2014 Olympian
2016 World Cup Bronze Medalist (Heerenveen)
2015 World Cup Gold Medalist (Inzell)
2013 World Cup Gold Medalist (Salt Lake City)
2012 World Cup Silver Medalist (Nagano)
Social Followers: Twitter, 6,376; Instagram, 3,184
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
For many Canadians who watched the Sochi Olympics, one story resonated with us.
It wasn’t the eventual triumph of the men’s hockey team; the double-podium performances in moguls, ski cross or ski slopestyle; or even the incredible now-part-of-hockey-history comeback by the women’s team over the USA.
It was a story of sportsmanship, teamwork and humanity that meant the most to Canada.
Gilmore Junio, a self-effacing young speed skater at his first Olympics, did something that touched the core of our values as citizens and not just sports fans: He gave his spot in the 1000m to teammate Denny Morrison, who had missed qualifying in the discipline after a fall at the Canadian Trials.
When Morrison went on to win silver, the friends celebrated a truly beautiful moment together.
Gilmore left Sochi with a 10th place finish in the 500m and the satisfaction of knowing that his selflessness had led to greater success for the Canadian Olympic Team.
And Canada took notice and Gilmore's story became part of Canada's Olympic lore.
A Toronto-based design firm had lead a "Thanks Gilmore" crowd-sourced fundraising campaign to create a medal to commemorate his selfless act.
His TED Talk, The Generosity Dilemma, powerfully explored the idea that generosity and personal ambition can not only co-exist but can balance each other and lead to the character that so many Canadians aspire to.
Now, with his third Olympics in front of him, Gilmore's out to prove that nice guys can finish first.
With a quick start to the 2021-22 season, he's establishing his one-to-watch status as a legitimate podium threat.
In Beijing 2022, with all of Canada behind him, he’ll look to bring home an Olympic medal of his very own.
And of course, he'll share it with us.
