Finally, some good news: Paris Olympics marks big win for gender equality, a miracle for a N.L fishing community and a 1-in-30-million lobster rescue
Yahoo Canada editors highlight the most smile-worthy and inspiring stories this week
In a world often dominated by challenging headlines, Yahoo News Canada aims to spotlight uplifting news stories both local and beyond. This week's roundup includes a historic moment for gender equality at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, a miraculous moment for a Newfoundland fishing village and an Ottawa woman who pledges to use her $70 million lotto win for good.
⛴️ 'Nothing short of a miracle': Missing N.L. fishing crew arrives home safely
The crew of the Elite Navigator made a miraculous return to their homes last Saturday after spending days adrift in a life-raft on the Atlantic Ocean.
The seven crew members were greeted by hundreds of people celebrating their return to Valleyfield, a municipality that is part of the town of New-Wes Valley in Newfoundland.
The crew members' safe arrival was emotional as family and friends tightly hugged the loved ones they thought they'd lost.
Even the town's mayor called the situation a miracle. "It's nothing short of a miracle," said Michael Tiller in an interview with CBC News.
Captain of the Elite Navigator, Eugene Carter, said the crew is happy to be home after spending almost three days in a life-raft following a fire on the ship that escalated quickly.
"Within five minutes, we had seven men aboard a life-raft and there was fire around us everywhere," Carter said.
In the days that followed, Carter said the crew had to keep each other warm, there was limited water supply, and the raft kept drifting farther away from land. Nonetheless, they stayed in good spirits.
But the most challenging part of the situation wasn't being stuck on a life-raft in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean — it was thinking about what their families were going through.
"The hardest thing about it was knowing we were alive and everyone here thinking the opposite. That was the hardest thing to cope with out there," Carter said.
The entire crew was found in a life-raft by search-and-rescue teams on Friday night.
"A hand-held red flare was spotted, which led us to a life-raft," the coast guard said in an update posted to Facebook on Saturday.
The flare that saved their lives was the last one the men had. When it caught the attention of the helicopter, Carter said it was the best feeling in the world.
🦞 Watch: Meet 'Crush': 1-in-30-million orange lobster saved from a restaurant
⛹🏽♀️ In a historic first, half the athletes in the Paris Olympics will be female
Founder of modern Olympics Pierre de Coubertin once said women competing the Games would be "impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic and improper," according to reporting by the Associated Press.
Today, over a century later, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games are targeting gender parity in the same city where women made their Olympic debut in 1900.
"There is nothing more equal than a male and female competing as one team on the same field of play towards the same sports performance," the IOC’s sports director, Kit McConnell tells the Associated Press.
Just 4.4% of the athletes were women when Paris again hosted the Olympics exactly 100 years ago. In 1924, the “Chariots of Fire” Olympics, there were 135 women competing among 3,089 athletes, according to the IOC’s research.
READ MORE: Paris Olympic competition nears total gender parity. Take a look at the athlete gender breakdown
The number rose to 45% in Rio 2016 and reached 48% at the Tokyo Games, where teams were encouraged to select a man and a woman to be flag-bearers at the opening ceremony.
For 2024, the IOC set a goal of a 50-50 split among the more than 11,000 men and women, including backups, registered to compete from July 26 to Aug. 11. However, the latest numbers from the IOC suggest organizers might fall just short of that target.
One week before the opening ceremony, the official IOC database for the Paris Olympics showed 11,215 athletes, including backups, registered to compete: 5,712 in men's events and 5,503 in women's events or a 51-49% split.
"The Olympic games are a rare occasion when female athletes can make the headlines as much as their male counterparts. We know that there are prime global broadcasting times at each edition of the Olympic Games. We have adjusted the schedule accordingly to ensure that a gender-balanced number of medal events and total competition hours take place during those time slots," IOC member Nawal El Moutawakel notes in a written statement.
⛰️ Watch: 'A spot for future generations': Land being returned to Manitoba Métis
💰 Ottawa woman wins $70M jackpot, pledges to help recovering addicts
Patricia Warden, 49, has secured the ultimate prize with Lotto Max, taking home $70 million from the May 31, 2024 draw. During her emotional celebration, Warden shared her inspiring journey — from being a teen mother, to battling cancer and overcoming drug addiction, to now enjoying over 25 years of sobriety.
“There have been people who have been by my side my whole life, including my journey with addiction and cancer. Over the years, they’ve helped me get to where I am, and I want to bring them with me. They know who they are and know I won’t forget them.”
READ MORE: Ottawa woman wins $70M with Lotto Max — plans to open a 'ranch' for addicts to work and recover
The Ottawa woman, who recently retired from a home disaster restoration company, is already mapping out how she plans to give back to her loved ones and community.
“A big dream I had is I wanted to get a ranch where addicts can come, and they can get their education, they have to work the animals, they have to do therapy and give them a chance to quit,” said Warden. “Everybody deserves love.”
Surrounded by a loving support system, including her husband, Warden vividly recalls the moment she discovered her life-changing win.
“My husband heard the commotion, saw my face turn red, and came running to prevent me from falling off the deck!”
Despite the excitement, Warden’s immediate priority with her newfound wealth is simple.
“I’m going to sleep! I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since I found out. The waves of emotion are happening even when I’m trying to sleep. I’m relieved I don’t have to wake up and make sure the ticket is still safe anymore,” she said.
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