As Cassie Sharpe put together her final, gold medal-winning run in the women's ski halfpipe event in Pyeongchang, cheers erupted in the Comox Valley.

Sharpe, who grew up in Comox and trained on Mount Washington, scored an opening run of 94.40 and followed that up with an even better 95.80 score on her second run to clinch gold.

"It doesn't feel real yet, but once I see my family and feel the love, it'll sink in," she told reporters. "So much hard work has gone into this, I'm elated."

Comox's Paige Sutton grew up with Sharpe, having been friends since Grade 2, and said the victory was shared by those who know the determined athlete.

"She's an incredible person, she's an incredible athlete and I'm so proud of her and I think the excitement comes through when I talk about her," she said.

Sutton now teaches at the elementary school she and Sharpe attended, and said the Olympic champion gave a shout-out on Skype to students at her former school on the day she struck gold.

"The kids get to see her and make that connection between 'Hey, I go here, she went here, and I could do that,'" said Sutton.

Sharpe's efforts are being acknowledged at the school as well Mount Washington, the ski hill that the 25-year-old athlete trained on and proudly talks about on the world stage.

"My heart is still there, and it's where I learned how to ski. It's where I learned everything with my brothers and it's definitely where my heart is," she told CTV News before heading to Pyeongchang.

Sharpe is such a big fan of the local ski resort that she even has a trail map of Mount Washington tattooed on her forearm.

Her victory has left those who work and train at the resort overjoyed for her success.

"Cassie's event and her big gold win last night was just absolutely thrilling," said Mount Washington spokeswoman Sheila Rivers. "She's been so lovely in all of her interviews and commenting on our Facebook posts, letting us know she couldn't have done it without us."

That recognition has spread across Canada, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and 'Deadpool' star Ryan Reynolds tweeting about Sharpe's win, with the latter calling her a "legend."

Mount Washington's general manager is reminding people there are actually four Olympians competing this year with connections to the ski resort.

"We're pretty excited for the whole group," said Peter Gibson. "It's a tribute to Mount Washington, and the families and the programs, and it just shows we're all going in the right direction."