Local Hero Wins Olympic Bronze!

Congratulations to St. Catharine's Melanie Kok who won a Bronze medal in Beijing on Saturday. Melanie teamed up with fellow Canadian Tracy Cameron to finish third in the lightweight women's double sculls team event.

"We watched (swimmer) Ryan Cochrane win a bronze medal this morning and it got us pumped," said Kok, 24, who is from St. Catharines, Ont. "I hope we can keep the momentum going."

Melanie is no stranger to sculling success. Prior to the Olympics, Kok (pronounced 'Cook') finished in first place at a World Cup event in Poland, and third place at another World Cup event in Switzerland earlier this year. As a single rower, Melanie Kok was a third-place finisher at the World Rowing Championships in 2007 for the lightweight singles event. She was also back-to-back Rowing Canada Female Sculler of the Year in 2003 and 2004.

When she's not rowing, Melanie likes drinking coffee and eating breakfast foods, playing and watching sports, travelling, and being outdoors. Now she can add winning Olympic medals to that list!

Photo - REUTERS/Aly Song

TAGS: Beijing, Hero, International, Local, Medal, Melanie Kok, Olympics, Rowing, Sports