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EAGLE MOUNTAIN -- A Utah Olympian has just arrived home to a big welcome from her family, friends and neighbors. Noelle Pikus-Pace not only got a parade, but a rally and the key to the city.
The celebration was a complete surprise for Pikus-Pace. She was greeted with a gold-medal reception as she arrived home from Vancouver Monday evening.
"This is incredible!" Pikus-Pace said. "I've been out there for about three weeks now, had a good run at it, gave it my best and finished fourth, just a tenth [of a second] from the medals. Then this; this is what it's about."
Pikus-Pace is originally from Orem and now calls Eagle Mountain home. She earned a parade, led by the fire trucks, ambulances and police cars, as she was escorted to a school for a community rally to celebrate a hometown Olympian.
She said after finishing her race and closing ceremonies Sunday night, she didn't think anything could top her Olympic experience. That was until she came home to Eagle Mountain.
"I see all your faces; I don't know how to thank you enough because I really couldn't have done it without you," she told the crowd. "This means so much to me. Thank you so much. This is my gold medal."
Pikus-Pace competed in the women's skeleton and finished with the best time on the USA team. She missed the Olympics four years ago in Torino, after suffering a broken leg when a bobsled lost control and hit her.
She fought back from that injury and returned to competition. She made it on the skeleton team for Vancouver and finished just shy of a medal.
The Olympian has said that now the games are over, she is leaving competition to spend time with her family.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
