Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris chosen as 2018 Calgary Stampede Parade marshal
Saskatchewan native won Olympic medals in Sochi and Pyeongchang
Two-time Olympic bronze medal winning snowboarder Mark McMorris will lead this year's Calgary Stampede Parade.
The Saskatchewan native says he's very excited for the opportunity to play an important role in what he called an iconic Canadian event.
"Super honoured — thank you, guys," he said as he was introduced at an event at the Stampede grounds on Thursday morning.
"I had no expectation of getting picked for this."
McMorris said that having grown up in Saskatchewan, he's been to many rodeos. But this will be his first Calgary Stampede.
He said he's looking forward to spending all morning on his horse, Texas, even though it's been a while.
"It's going to hurt, I'll be bow-legged."
The snowboarder had a near-catastrophic crash in 2017 in the B.C. backcountry. He hit a tree and broke several bones and suffered internal injuries.
But he recovered in time to compete in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, where he won a bronze medal in the men's slopestyle event.
He was also a bronze medallist in Sochi in 2014.
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The parade takes place July 6. It starts at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and First Street S.E. at 9 a.m. It travels west to 10th Street S.W., where it heads north to Sixth Avenue and then goes back east to end at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Macleod Trail.
The Calgary Stampede runs from July 6 to 15.
