When Carlyle鈥檚 Carter Morrison was selected to attend the opening ceremonies for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he knew it was going to be a special moment.
After all, he was one of just five young people from across the country, and 96 from around the world, chosen by Ronald McDonald House Charities to be child ambassadors and attend the ceremonies. He was picked thanks to the perseverance and the cheerful demeanour he has shown while staying at the Ronald McDonald House.
鈥淚 was surprised, because Rio is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the Olympics are, too, so that was pretty cool,鈥� said Carter.聽
But the 12-year-old son of Lisa and Trevor Morrison could have never imagined that it would be such a memorable experience.
Not only did Carter get to march in with the Canadian athletes during the opening ceremonies on Aug. 5 at Rio鈥檚 Maracana Stadium, but he helped lead the procession. He proudly marched next to Canadian flag-bearer Rosie MacLennan while they led a parade of hundreds of Canadian athletes, all wearing their red Team Canada jackets.
Carter carried a tree sapling, which represented the environmentally conscious theme of the opening ceremonies. Each of those tree saplings will eventually be replanted.聽
He did it all in front of the estimated 80,000 people inside the stadium, as well as the millions watching across Canada and more than a billion people watching the ceremonies from around the world.
鈥淎t first I thought I was going to be nervous, because I was walking out in front of thousands of people, but when I got out there I wasn鈥檛 nervous,鈥� he told Lifestyles. 鈥淚t was just fun.鈥�
He wasn鈥檛 aware, though, of how many people would be in attendance, or how many people would witness the ceremonies on television.聽
His father admits, though, that it was the luck of the draw that allowed Carter to lead Canada in during the ceremonies.聽
Carter later escorted Team Mongolia during the ceremonies. Since there were 96 child ambassadors, and 207 nations, each child was able to head out two or three times during the festivities.聽
鈥淭he next day, after the opening ceremonies, when we were at the Olympic Village, everybody recognized him, so they were coming up and hugging him and taking pictures with Carter,鈥� said Trevor. 鈥淪o it was pretty cool how friendly everybody is, and how much energy is there. It was very rewarding for Carter, and very exciting.鈥� 聽
Carter and Trevor left for Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 1, and they returned to Canada a week later. While they were in the Brazilian metropolis, they got to check out the Olympic Village, and they watched American tennis star Venus Williams compete in a women鈥檚 singles match.聽
Carter could only bring one of his parents. But now that they have experienced the event, Trevor hopes the family can travel to the Games together at some point in the future.聽
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize the excitement and how much energy there is, and just how everybody is rooting for each other, even though they have their personal goals,鈥� said Trevor. 鈥淣ow that I鈥檝e been there, it might be something we try and do as a family in the future.鈥澛�
Carter returned to a hero鈥檚 welcome in Carlyle on Aug. 9. He rode around town in a fire truck during a parade, and people lined the streets to cheer for him. Then he participated in an autograph session with Carlyle-area residents, and posed for pictures with them. It鈥檚 an experience that he never imagined would happen.聽
鈥淭here was a lot of people out there supporting me,鈥� he said. 聽
Carter鈥檚 experiences at Ronald McDonald House earned him the opportunity to be in Rio. He was born with achondroplasia, a medical condition in which the growth of long bones is stunted, resulting in short limbs. The average height for an adult male is a little more than four feet. 聽
The condition also causes complications. Carter has had nearly 20 surgeries, and has spent many nights at Ronald McDonald House. In fact, they have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House鈥檚 three Prairie locations, in Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.聽
Despite the adversity, Carter has always had a friendly disposition and a cheerful attitude. It鈥檚 that outlook on life that his father believes led to Carter鈥檚 Olympic experience.
Thanks to the support from the staff at Ronald McDonald House last year, Carter鈥檚 mother, Lisa, organized Estevan鈥檚 first-ever Red Shoe Walk last September.聽
The Morrison family has only positive things to say about their experiences at Ronald McDonald House. The support shown for the family has alleviated some of the stress associated with having a child who has a condition like achondroplasia.聽
The experience in Rio is the latest example of the positive nature of their dealings with McDonald鈥檚.
鈥淭hey treat us so well, and just seeing what McDonald鈥檚 has done for these kids in Rio, it was totally amazing,鈥� said Trevor. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 thank them enough, and promote what they鈥檙e all about.
鈥淭his trip was 100 per cent for these kids. And for them to get along with people from other countries, those kids were playing games not even knowing the language, they were having so much fun and they were figuring it out.鈥澛�
Carter said Rio was an awesome experience, and he recognizes the uniqueness of the opportunity. He enjoyed making new friends, and the people with McDonald鈥檚 House were great to deal with.聽
