For me, the Olympics are an emotional roller-coaster ride. Jump on board as I review some of my favourite Olympic moments.

I watched as more than 90,000 people flocked to The Bird's Nest to witness the most spectacular opening ceremonies in Olympic history. The torch was lit. The Games were about to begin.

Then we waited. And we waited. Seven days passed and on the eighth day Canada struck gold.

Is there a more heartwarming Olympic story than that of Carol Huynh (fittingly pronounced Win). Canadian born of "Vietnamese boatpeople," the 48-kg freestyle wrestler became Canada's Golden Girl. The Simon Fraser University graduate was crowned Olympic champion.

Tears trickled down the golden grappler's face as the Canadian flag was positioned -- then slowly raised. As the anthem played, she smiled. She appeared to giggle. And then she sang.

As her teary eyes wandered, the Olympic champion made eye contact with her precious parents, Viem and Mai Trinh.

Imagine the exhilaration they must have experienced as their daughter was crowned Olympic Queen.

Could they have ever imagined this special moment?

In the late 1970s they were among thousands of Vietnamese refugees who fled Saigon -- huddled in "overcrowded crudely constructed vessels" floating for days in the South China Sea.

Eventually, they would be adopted by a small United Church congregation in Hazelton, B. C. And so began a new life in Canada -- in a remote northern British Columbia community.

I'm certain it never crossed the golden grappler's mind when she stood so proudly on the podium that she was richer than when she left for the Beijing bonanza -- $20,000 richer -- thanks to the newly implemented incentive offered by the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Huynh's a hero in Hazelton, but so, too, are her plucky parents and her Vietnamese-born sister and brother. This has the makings of a movie.

And on the ninth day, we heard it again -- O Canada. It didn't matter that the octet warbled out of tune -- even out of sync. Moments earlier the heavyweights of the water were in perfect harmony as they stroked their way to Olympic gold on Lake Shunyi. Their raw emotion rippled as they belted out the national anthem. They didn't cry, but I did.

It was redemption for the Adonis Eight and coxswain who finished fifth four years earlier. A magical moment. And one of my favourite Olympic moments.

Is there anyone more refreshing than McMaster University alumnus Adam van Koeverden? How difficult must it have been for him to be interviewed immediately after his eighth place performance in the K1 1000. He had no answers. Only questions about his "worst performance in six years."

The world champion apologized for his performance. He needn't have. He's a class act. A role model for all of us.

In less than 24 hours the Canadian kayaker returned to the world stage. He dug deep and somehow found the resolve to strike silver in the K1 500. I cried -- again.

The Olympic torch has been passed to the "Union Jack Jocks." I anticipate a host of compelling memories from jolly ol'England four years hence.

In the interim I will be following the paths of our local treasures as they pursue academic and athletic excellence in university and colleges across the continent.