Olympic Swimmer Wins Gold Medal in Memory of Late Dog, Rio
Andrea Powell
Dogs are our best friends, family members, therapists, and so much more. That is why they leave such a huge void in our life and heart when they cross the Rainbow Bridge.
We never forget our faithful pals and they continue to inspire us even after they are gone. Marathon swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands wins gold in honor of her late dog, Rio, at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Sharon adopted the Pomeranian in 2016 shortly after winning gold at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Sadly, he passed away just weeks before his eighth birthday from health complications.
After his passing, Sharon was devastated and stopped swimming. "I didn’t care about swimming for three weeks, he was my little baby,” she said.
Eventually, she returned to training after her dad told her to do it for Rio. Sharon won her second gold medal by finishing just seconds ahead of Australian swimmer Moesha Johnson.
As soon as she emerged from the water as the champion, she pointed to the tattoo of Rio's paw on her wrist as tears rolled down her face.
"Let’s try it and I will swim for him with my whole heart’ — and I did it — I won for him, " Sharon said.
She celebrated by kissing the tattoo of Rio's paw and dedicating the medal to her beloved dog. He was definitely with her in spirit and will never be forgotten.
In a heartbreaking post on Instagram, she wrote, "I did it all for us. I bought a house for you and me to live together after Paris Olympics only there were some complications on the way."
She goes on to say, "I need to say goodbye to my little man who has given me the best feeling in the world, better than any medal I ever won, better than any swimming moment I have ever experienced. You are and always will be the most important thing in my life. I hope you get some rest. I will never forget you. Mummy loves you."
