Olympic gold medalists Isabelle Weidemann and Valérie Maltais visited the pediatric unit at Victoria General Hospital (VGH) on April 24, 2026. The two Olympians shared their medals and words of encouragement with young patients and health-care staff as part of Speed Skating Canada's Medals on Tour program.
The visit brought moments of joy to children like seven-year-old Myra, who watched the athletes compete on television during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. Her mother, Madison Vinkle, said meeting the Olympians was especially meaningful.
"Myra is very patriotic. She loves Canada, so to see someone supporting her country means a lot to her," said Vinkle. "She's never received a visit like this, so it’s brought her a lot of excitement."
Weidemann, who won two gold medals and one silver medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympics and added another gold at Milano Cortina 2026, said the visit allowed the athletes to connect with communities in a way their training schedules rarely permit.
"We train in this bubble for so long and we don't get to share any of that," said Weidemann. "Coming into the communities, showing the medals and talking with the kids has been really special."
Weidemann also expressed deep admiration for the health-care workers who care for children. Weidemann's mother has been a nurse for 35 years, giving the Olympian a personal understanding of the dedication required in health care.
"I know how hard that work is and how meaningful it is to people, especially those struggling in hospital," said Weidemann. "When I need to be brave or strong at the starting line, health-care workers are some of the people I look to. Maybe we inspire them, but they inspire us too."
Maltais, who made history as the first Canadian to win Olympic medals in both short track and long track speed skating, encouraged the children and staff to embrace small victories in their healing journey and daily lives.
"As athletes, we're always setting goals. Yes, there's the Olympics every four years, but every day we're looking forward to something," said Maltais. "I think it's good for everyone to have a small daily objective they want to achieve, whether it's about health or getting better, and try to move forward as much as possible and have a smile at the end of the day."
Maltais earned gold medals in the women's team pursuit at both the Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, along with silver and bronze medals in individual events. She also served as one of Team Canada's Closing Ceremony flag bearers at Milano Cortina 2026.
"Visits like this bring such positive energy to our pediatric unit," said Becki Steel, child life specialist at Island Health, who helped to coordinate the visit. "When children are in the hospital, meeting athletes they've admired on TV and holding Olympic medals helps normalize the environment by bringing exciting moments from the outside world in. These experiences can shape how children remember their time here, not just as stressful, but as exciting and meaningful."
The Victoria stop was the final city on the Medals on Tour schedule, which also included visits to Sherbrooke, Newmarket, Iqaluit, Digby and Brandon.
The program is a partnership between Speed Skating Canada and Intact Insurance, designed to celebrate recent Olympic successes and inspire the next generation of athletes.