Bus driver in Victoria sends unique message to Olympic diver in Tokyo
Stephen Bains is the sort of bus driver who strives to say “welcome” to all his passengers, which has earned kudos from more than a few.
“‘Wow! You’re the only driver who turns his whole upper body to greet us!’” Stephen recalls one passenger saying.
Going above and beyond has been a priority for both Stephen and his girlfriend Celina Toth since they first met.
“Our determination and work ethics were very in sync,” Stephen says with a smile.
While Stephen puts metaphorical blood, sweat and tears into driving, Celina has invested the real thing into diving.
“She’s been working the last 12 years, seven days a week, on the Olympics,” Stephen says proudly. “When she was able to accomplish that, I knew I had to do something.”
While Celina was training to compete in Tokyo, Stephen was considering how to wish her well from Victoria.
“(I was thinking about) an amped-up slogan,” Stephen says. “And I know Diving Canada has ‘We Fly.’”
Stephen worked with BC Transit to use five double-decker buses (to represent the number of Olympic rings and height of her dives). Then he lined the buses up to make a message.
“It turned out great,” Stephen says. “It was magnificent!”
He posted a picture on social media and invited Celia to take a look.
“‘Cool Stephen. Another picture of you in front of a bus!,” Celina says with a smile in Tokyo, recalling her reaction.
“And then he’s like, ‘No. No, What do the buses say?!’”
The message on the buses said “Fly High Celina.”
“I just burst out laughing!” Celina says. “That’s super thoughtful!”
But then Celina started scrolling past the picture to the message that Stephen wrote. It praised her kindness and conviction, her strength and intelligence. Instead of laughing, Celina’s eyes started welling.
“It was a really difficult year with COVID and I wasn’t sure I was going to continue on (training),” Celina says. “I was in a very dark, low place.”
But no matter how low, Stephen was always there with “fly high.” Celina says it gave her a sense of hope beyond sports, which led to an extra boost to keep her Olympic dream alive.
“I say this is sports and relationships — never give-up,” Celina says. “If you want something, it will happen.”
And although the pandemic means Stephen can’t be poolside in Japan, his support from Canada is already making a big splash.
“If I can show (Celina) that although we’re not there, we’re with you, then, I suppose, mission accomplished,” Stephen says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.