Sunday 29 November 2009

Medal Ceremony

If you came here from the Défi site looking for my report on my Défi 2009, then click here.

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On Thursday, November 26th I went to the Verdun Auditorium for the Medal Ceremony of the Défi 2009. We were only thirty people in total, probably the smallest group that I have ever seen in any of the seven medal ceremonies that I attended.

The food was good, the conversation interesting, it was a quite enjoyable event.

Mr. Fortier gave the medal first to the "winner"* of the Défi, who was in a rush to leave and then he started the ceremony the usual way, at the bottom and going up. I was, of course, the first one called to the stage because I had been the last one to finish the event. As I took more than twelve hours to complete the Défi, I didn't get a medal, just the certificate.

The funny part happened a few minutes later: one of the participants went to the stage, took his silver medal and those of some friends and after returning to his place at the table, he came to me and gave me one those medals! Wow! I wasn't expecting such a show of generosity! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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* I put "winner" in quotes because for me anyone who completes the Défi is a winner, it doesn't matter if you crossed the line first or last.