听 听 听 听 听 听 Carlyle's Carter Morrison not only experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve as a Ronald McDonald House ambassador at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janerio- he also made Olympic history. Carter led both Team Canada and the Mongolian Olympic team into Rio's 80,000-seat Maracana Stadium for the opening ceremony-alongside each nation's official flagbearer. He and his fellow McDonalds' 鈥淥lympic Kids鈥� were the first ever to be allowed to do so-for an audience of billions watching from around the world.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淢cDonalds has been taking kids to the Olympics to represent Ronald McDonald Houses since 1986,鈥� says Carter's dad and travel companion, Trevor Morrison. 鈥淏ut this is the first time ever that the kids could walk in the opening ceremonies.鈥澨�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e had no idea who would walk with which team,鈥� says Trevor. 鈥淭he kids rehearsed all week, and the parents weren't allowed to watch, because the organizers wanted to make sure nothing to do with the ceremony would leak out before it began.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he night of the ceremony, I was up in the stands with all of the other parents-from around the world-some of the kids didn't end up taking part, because it was just too much for them. But when Carter came out with Canada, our whole group went crazy. Parents from other countries were shouting, 'Carter got Canada! Carter got Canada!'鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 have to admit, I shed a few tears.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Carter says, 鈥淚 didn't know I was getting Canada, but everyone knew I wanted it. I thought I would be nervous, but I wasn't.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 carried a little tree and they'll plant it,鈥� adds Carter. 鈥淎fter I finished walking around the stadium with Canada, I came back and they sent me out to walk with Mongolia. It was cool to be able to do it twice, but with Canada, I was more excited, because that's my home country.鈥澨�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Using the hashtag and motto #FriendsWin, McDonalds Olympics Kids program brought nearly 100 young people from around the world to Brazil. All of them have stayed in Ronald MacDonald Houses-often with their families- while undergoing medical treatment-and while they and their parents were in Rio, they all stayed together in the same hotel and toured and travelled together in an effort to embody global friendship.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Carter-who was born with achondroplasia-has stayed in Ronald McDonald houses in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba since he was a baby. His longstanding relationship with the charity and his visits for nearly12 years to Ronald McDonald Houses in all three prairie provinces made him a natural choice to represent the organization in Brazil. As one of only five Canadians who were selected to attend the Rio Games as an ambassador, Carter was the only one who was chosen outright for the honour.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎 lot of the kids had to enter contests or otherwise compete for the chance to go to Rio,鈥� says Treavor. 鈥淏ut Carter was asked to go without having to do any of that.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The Morrison men were on Olympic duty from August 2 to 8. After being taken to their hotel from the airport, Carter was outfitted in Olympic gear.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 didn't wear any of the clothes from my suitcase,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e were given clothes to wear from McDonalds and a nice kid from Chile gave me a T-shirt, too.鈥澨� During the lead-up to the August 5th opening ceremony, the pair received a daily itinerary, which included regular trips to local steakhouses for supper, plenty of rehearsal time for the Games' official opening, and some once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hey recreated a Brazilian Carnival for the kids,鈥� says Trevor. 鈥淚t was absolutely amazing-from the costumes, the dancing and singing. The kids even got to participate, too.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The pair also joined the Ronald McDonald Olympic Kids contingient on a trip to visit the country's iconic Statue of Christ the Redeemer, which overlooks Rio de Janeiro. Carter's mother, Lisa Morrison-who watched the opening ceremony in Carlyle- asked her son to take a photo of himself at the statue, which he did.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hen you're up there, you see everything,鈥� says Carter. 鈥淎nd I just thought of all the people supporting me, being there.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The pair also saw American tennis star Venus Williams compete. 鈥淪he was pretty good,鈥� says Carter, adding 鈥淗er serve must be as fast as the speed limit on the highway.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Trevor says watching his son lead Team Canada-along with flagbearer and gold medallist, Rosie MacLennan-is his favourite Olympic moment, 鈥渨ithout a doubt.鈥� However, prior to the trip, he expressed the hope that he and Carter would get the opportunity to watch a Brazilian soccer game, because 鈥渢hey're soccer-crazy there.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 saw an amazing soccer game there,鈥� smiles Trevor. 鈥淥n our last day there, they took the kids for a picnic outside. All of the kids from Ronald McDonald Houses were there and so were the parents. It wasn't planned, but suddenly, someone threw a soccer ball, and before you know it, there are 90 or so kids playing, then the security guards join in, then some other guys who were working nearby join in, and you've got this huge soccer game happening. And three monkeys even showed up!鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲itnessing the friendship and the camaraderie of the group was amazing,鈥� says Trevor. 鈥淐arter made a lot of friends, whether there was a language barrier or not. We took some Town of Carlyle pins with us and nobody could believe we came from a community of only 1,500 people, but everybody knows where Carlyle is now.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he number-one thing I look at now is that if you take politics and greed and money out of the world, these kids really have it figured out. With them, it was all about friendship and helping each other. It was pretty cool.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 'I made a lot of new friends,鈥� says Carter. 鈥淎 lot of them were American kids, because we both speak English, but we could all play soccer听 together and we did. It was great. One nice kid gave me a shirt from Chile and the kids from Japan were excited about the Olympics there in 2020.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hey were sharing stuff and really living up to #FriendsWin,鈥� says Trevor. 鈥淭hey were playing soccer together, not even with a common language. The friendship and camaraderie of the group-and the parents-was just amazing.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Carter's mom, Lisa, says: 鈥淚'm really just lost for words. Carter and Trevor experienced it there. And I was so excited and so overwhelmed when I saw how thrilled and happy for Carter people were here at home. We are all so grateful for the big welcome home Carter received here in Carlyle.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's overwhelming and emotional.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐arter is a kid who loves sports and doesn't get to play a lot of them,鈥� adds Trevor. 鈥淪o the fact that he gets to take part in the biggest sporting event in the world and raise awareness for Ronald McDonald House...Well, it's amazing.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Even before the opening ceremony was over, there was evidence that Carter had fulfilled his mission as an ambassador for Ronald McDonald Houses worldwide.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Morrison family friend, Nicole Currie-who attended high school in Wawota-received the following message from her former classmate and exchange student, Brazilian Anna Augusta Fleury:
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淗i Nicole, I loved seeing that young man Carter at the Olympic opening ceremony. I have a friend whose son has the same condition and they were very happy their son was represented at that moment. How amazing it is for me to find out Carter is Canadian and from southeast Sask. So happy! Hope he enjoyed his experience and his time down here.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Lisa says, 鈥淗earing that is overwhelming and really, what it's all about. McDonald's and their charity-Ronald McDonald Houses-really have a compelling commitment to chidren. They have embodied a spirit of friendship and giving back to Carter and our family. And for that, we are forever grateful.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Carter describes his entire Olympic adventure as: 鈥淧retty amazing-a lot amazing! I'd really like to thank everyone for supporting me.鈥�
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