Red is the new gold for Olympic athlete inspiring blood donations in Victoria
CTV
Fresh off a gold-medal win at last summer's Tokyo Olympics, a Victoria athlete is using her newfound fame to inspire others to give the gift of life.
Andrea Proske won her gold medal along with her teammates in the women’s eight rowing.
With training now taking a back seat, Proske is getting back to her family’s tradition of donating blood.
The 35-year-old Olympian was heading to a blood donation clinic at the Mary Winspere Centre in Sidney, B.C., on Monday.
“I think we forget what an impact we can have on our community,” said Proske. “If you can just get one person following this [who] decides they are going to go and donate blood, I just think my job is done, hugely impactful.”
The pandemic has led to staffing challenges and people being unable to donate because they've contracted COVID-19 or are self-isolating.
Proske compares the feeling of donating to one of winning a gold medal.
“I think one thing I really learned about this gold medal is that it’s a superpower," she said. "I get to bring joy everywhere I go, and donating blood is kind of like a superpower too. You get to give people something that is so intangible and really gives them a sense of security and love and compassion at a time when they need it most."
