by Kristina Gabalski
It’s no surprise residents of the Churchville/Riga community are proud of their Olympians – Lyndsay Wall, who won silver in 2002 and bronze in 2006 with the USA Women’s Ice Hockey Team; Jenn Suhr, who won a silver medal in the pole vault at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and a gold medal in the pole vault at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London; and Ryan Chalmers, who participated in the 2012 Paralympics in London in track and field. Now that pride is showing at the corner of Buffalo and Main Streets (Rts. 33&36) in the village, by way of new Hometown Olympian banners.
Churchville Mayor Nancy Steedman says the Hometown Hero banners in surrounding villages made her think about doing something similar to honor the trio of hometown Olympians from Churchville/Riga.
“We were looking for something special,” she says, “we are so proud of them and their accomplishments. We are fortunate to have so many Olympic participants in the Churchville area.”
The Village of Churchville purchased the banners and they were installed in mid-June, while Mayor Steedman was out of town for a conference.
“Everybody knew I was waiting for them,” she says. “I was pleasantly surprised.”
Steedman says Ryan Chalmers’ mom and dad were “really enthusiastic and complimentary” when they saw the banners.
She notes that Lyndsay Wall now lives in California and Jenn Suhr is preparing for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, as is Chalmers, who is training for the Paralympics, which will also be held in Rio.
The village proclaimed June 27 “Ryan Chalmers Day,” Steedman says, in honor of his recently completed “Push Across America” campaign. Chalmers was presented with a key to the village mounted on a plaque with the village’s logo.
