What the 2016 Rio Olympics mean to the parents of Team Canada athletes
'Defeating and losing, it’s just part of the journey'
Manny Polossifakis remembers watching the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics with his son Joseph, who had just missed making Canada's fencing team that year.
"We just watched there in silence," said Polossifakis.
"He didn't say anything, but I could tell it was hard for him. But it was also so hard for me to watch him."
But 2016 will prove to be a much different scenario for the Polossifakis family. Joseph Polossifakis has qualified to represent Team Canada in Rio.
"It's twice as sweet," Manny Polossifakis told CBC Montreal's Daybreak. "My favourite part will be watching him walk into the Maracanã stadium."
- Joseph Polossifakis returns to the school that lit his Olympic fire
- Fencing Olympic hopefuls tackle myths, strategy behind ancient sport
Champions behind the champions
For many athletes, making it to the Olympics is the dream of a lifetime and one that would not be possible without the help of the unsung heroes behind them.
Arthur Benfeito never thought his daughter Meaghan would become a veteran Olympian. This summer, diver Meaghan Benfeito is headed to her third Olympics. In 2012 she and her partner Roseline Filion won a bronze medal in the 10-metre platform synchro event.
Benfeito described watching his daughter from the stands as "nerve-racking."
"It's stressful because after the third Olympics, you expect to do better … The more you do, the more is expected from you," he said. "Just making the Olympics is a big thing."
Canada's athletes, their kids
While knowing the whole country is behind you can be a motivational push, what Canadians want from their children does not always reflect what the family really cares about, both parents said.
"You want them to do good for them, because they'll come to you after a competition either happy or crying, and you feel for them," said Benfeito.
"I try to impress upon him that winning is not everything," said Polossifakis. "He should be having fun. Defeating and losing, it's just part of the journey."
Using every advantage
Arthur Benfeito said Meghan comes from a proud Portuguese family.
But, despite her love for her family's heritage, she's always been shy when it came to speaking the language with her grandparents.
"She talks, but when it comes to Portuguese people, she's kind of embarrassed," he said. "But they only talk to her in Portuguese."
But will that knowledge of Portuguese prove to be advantageous in Rio?
"Well not in the pool," her father said with a laugh.
