Olympic speedskater Denny Morrison is no stranger to the Winter Games, and has earned four medals for Team Canada since he first competed in Turin back in 2006.
But making it to Pyeongchang this year has been one of the toughest chapters in his storied career.
Morrison has had two brushes with death since Sochi. In 2015, he was riding his motorcycle in Calgary when he crashed into a car.
The collision left him with a fractured femur, internal bruising, a minor spinal fracture, a concussion and a torn ligament in his knee.
Morrison spent more than a week in hospital, and it took some time for him to begin walking again.
Despite his extensive injuries, Morrison called himself “one lucky dude” at the time.
Less than a year after the crash, Morrison suffered a stroke during a hike in Utah. He was with his then-girlfriend, fellow Olympic speedskater Josie Spence, who noticed that Morrison wasn’t feeling well and rushed him to hospital.
Doctors conducted scans on Morrison’s brain and found a brain blood clot and carotid artery dissection.
Morrison was characteristically upbeat after the stroke, writing on Twitter: “Just stayed in the most expensive hotel in the world – a U.S. hospital. Such a baller.”
It was a harrowing series of health scares for the Olympian, but Morrison was determined to compete in Pyeongchang. He fought past his injuries and earned a spot on Team Canada’s 2018 roster.
In an interview with CTV’s Genevieve Beauchemin, Morrison admitted that his journey to Pyeongchang has been a challenge.
“It’s a tough road. It’s not a road that’s paved with marble – maybe it is, and the marble is all broken,” Morrison said with a laugh.
By his side throughout the ordeal: Spence, who married Morrison in 2017, and now goes by Josie Morrison.
“She’s helped me through a lot of the things I’ve had to deal with,” Morrison said.
Pyeongchang holds special significance for the couple, too. It will be the first time they’ve competed as husband and wife.
“We’ve always said we wanted to walk into the opening ceremonies together,” Josie Morrison said.
Many Canadians likely remember Morrison best for his performance in the 1000-metre race in Sochi. Teammate Gilmore Junio gave up his spot in the race so that Morrison could compete.
Morrison went on to capture silver.
Junio later served as one of the groomsmen in Morrison’s wedding. This year, Junio says, he hopes the team skates to a well-deserved comeback.
“Hopefully we have one awesome last chapter to write together,” Junio said.
With a report from CTV’s Genevieve Beauchemin in Pyeongchang
