Wayne Gretzky

I watched Gretzky on the ice all my life, but I had to wait until the summer of 2000 to meet him in person.

Wayne came to Vancouver to participate in the opening ceremonies of the Molson Indy 2000. I was lucky enough to be one of the only photographers hanging around the victory podium before the race, so I got a great chance to catch all the action.

Wayne started the race with Julie and Colin Ferguson (two friends who own Diamonds Direct). They all got on the podium to announce "gentlemen, start your engines".

Things are always hectic around Wayne and he really didn't get a chance to see much of the race despite watching it from the private sky suites. Even there, people were always wanting to talk to him or have him sign an autograph.

Wayne was gracious and didn't seem to mind. He even autographed an original LeRoy Neiman print of himself (which Colin and Julie owned).

One of the best moments was when, on his way to the starting podium, he stopped to congratulate the little girl who sang the national anthems at the start of the race. I'm sure it's a moment she'll never forget.