When Ashleigh McIvor of Whistler, B.C. crossed the finish line to become the first-ever Olympic gold medallist in women's ski cross Feb. 23, a whole cheering section from Thompson was there to witness it firsthand.

Lee McIvor of Thompson, Ashleigh's cousin, and his wife Kim were among them.

"It was a family reunion with my cousin winning the gold medal," said Lee, who was at the Olympics with his extended family as well as friends from Thompson for five days. "I have two cousins on this planet and one just got a gold medal."

"It was a very exciting day to say the least," said Kim.

Ashleigh's grandparents Ed and Gladys McIvor were some of the earliest inhabitants of Thompson, moving here in 1959. Their children included Jim and Helen McIvor, Ashleigh's aunt and uncle, who still spend half the year in Northern Manitoba at their cottage on Setting Lake. Jim's brother Brent is Ashleigh's father, and was part of the generation of Thompsonites that helped establish the ski club and Mystery Mountain Winter Park, as well as working as a teacher here.

"He started skiing at Mystery Mountain when he was a kid," said Kim.

The McIvor family had an idea that Ashleigh might finish in the medals, as she was the ski cross world champion in the 2008-2009 season and is ranked second the World Cup circuit standings this year. And when one of her toughest competitors crashed in the semifinal, Lee says he and his brother exchanged a high-five.

"It was kind of one of those destiny-ridden days for her," said Kim.

The family said it almost seemed as if Ashleigh was overconfident before the race, coming into the grandstands to greet her family.

"She was just cool as a cucumber,” said Kim.

Afterwards, the new gold medallist was thinking about the people who didn't make the podium.

"She said, 'I feel so bad about my other teammates,'" remembers Lee.

The after-party was a huge event, with about 500 people in attendance. Ashleigh also had other highlights at the Olympics, her family says, like having Wayne Gretzky introduce himself, which happened before she won the gold medal.

"She has rock star status now with a gold medal," said Lee. "She's a pretty photogenic girl. She's an instant celebrity."

If having a family member win gold wasn't enough, the McIvors said just the Olympic experience as a whole was wonderful.

"It was electric," said Kim. “It was amazing. It was just a wonderful experience."

"The patriotism was vibrant, it really was," said Lee. "It's once in a lifetime."