Eritrean athlete from Alberta 'really happy' to be an Olympian

Eritrea's first Winter Olympian competed this week with his family from Alberta cheering from the stands and fans rooting for him around the world.

Shannon-Ogbani Abeda, 21, was born in Fort McMurray, Alta., and raised in Calgary by parents who fled their tiny home countryof Eritrea as refugees in the1980s.

He was thinking of them during his alpine skiing events in this week atthe Winter Olympics inPyeongchang, South Korea.

"It means a lot, especially for my dad. He sacrificed a lot to make his way to Canada, and in the war of independence, he lost a lot of relatives,"Abedatoldthe Calgary Eyeopenerby phone from South Korea on Friday morning.

"When I raised that flag for him, it was a very emotional time for him."

The country, which is home to about fivemillion people, spent almost 30 years torn in theEritrean War for Independence. The country gained internationally recognized independence in 1993.

Abeda'sparents fled the war and made a life in Alberta, raising their children near the Rocky Mountains.

As a result, he grew up on the ski hill.

On Saturday, Abedacame 61st with a time of 2:39.87in the alpine skiing event giant slalom, which involves zig-zag skiing through poles or gates.

On Thursday, he failed to complete his slalom event after suffering hip and back pain.

"I made a little bit of an error but I was really happy that I crossed the finish line and officially be an Olympian," Abeda said.

Abeda'sstory has sparked interest from news agencies around the world, garnering attentionthat has been "a little bit overwhelming," he said.The many messages of support fromEritreansworldwide have made it all worthwhile.

"A lot ofEritreanshave been very happy thatI've been able to open that door for youth and raise a flag for them,"Abedasaid.

"Regardless of if it's alpine skiing or skeleton or bobsled even skating, I hope that someone else can carry the torch."

Inspiring youth

His interest in promoting winter sports for youngEritreansstarted in 2011 whenhe had the chance to compete under his second nationality for the Youth OlympicGames.

He tried for the 2014 Sochi Games but was prevented from qualifying by a knee injury.

He qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea in alpine skiing under the "basic quota rule." Every National Olympic Committee may enter one female and one male qualifying competitor, provided they meet a few competition requirements.

Until now, Eritreaonly had athletes compete in the Summer Olympics, mostly in distance running and cycling.

"I'm still trying to grasp that feeling that I actually am an Olympian and after it took me this long to get here," Abedasaid. "I can't really put into words how I feel."

After the Olympics, he will return to Alberta to continue his computer science degree at the University of Calgary.

Whether he aims to compete in the next Winter Games will depend on his schooling, he said.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.

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