Two men, one medal and a shared belief that character and community are inextricably tied to what it means to be a true Olympian.

By now, you and the rest of the world have heard the incredible story of Calgary’s Gilmore Junio, who sacrificed his spot in the men’s 1,000-metre competition on Wednesday to friend and teammate Denny Morrison.

Morrison is a three-time Olympian who has won gold and silver as part of Canada’s team pursuit in the last two Olympics. He failed to qualify at the Olympic trials in Calgary after a tumble in his signature race. The 28-year-old veteran gracefully accepted the offer from his 23-year-old teammate and on Wednesday, skated his way to a silver medal at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

The two I speak of earlier, though, aren’t the young athletes who together have shown the world the true meaning of sportsmanship. They’re the men who helped put both on the world stage, spending years helping them to hone their speed, skill and strategy to become among the best in the world.

So while the University of Calgary’s Olympic Oval is half a world away from the action,cn domain the drama of the day is just as palpable here as it is at Sochi’s Fisht Stadium.

“I honestly didn’t know how to react,” says Alan McIlveen of hearing the day before that Junio would give up his medal chances in favour of Morrison. “There were a lot of mixed emotions.”

McIlveen, Junio’s coach when he was a short-track speedskater, knows the sacrifices the upbeat athlete with an infectious energy has made to be there. He was there in 2009 when Junio broke his back in a spectacular crash involving several other skaters.

“Immediately after, Gil was asking the doctors how soon he could start training again.” Like all speedskaters, the Calgary-born son of Filipino immigrants has had a longtime dream to be in the Olympics and to win a medal. “So many try and very few make it.”

Giving up his spot, says McIlveen, is an act of selflessness and generosity that most would have a hard time wrapping their heads around. But he understands. “It’s something I’ve seen in Gil from a very young age,” says the short-track speedskating coach cn domainwith the Olympic Oval program. “He is passionate about what he does, but balances that with incredible empathy.”

That empathy is at its zenith when it comes to his teammates, something that Marcel Lacroix says is a unique aspect of the Olympic Oval’s culture. “I have been to skating ovals all over the world and none are quite like this place,” says Denny Morrison’s longtime coach who has been with the Olympic Oval program for two decades. “People don’t understand that it’s more than just about sport here — it’s a fraternity, a way of life.”

Such a tight-knit community in what is technically an individual sport, he says, is both a product of “kids growing up together and becoming friends” along with the values everyone at the Olympic Oval embraces.

“We tell them they can ‘Own the Podium’, they can be extremely competitive, while still being respectful to their other teammates and to competitors from other countries.”

Lacroix says that nurturing of “not just great athletes, but great human beings” is evident in people like the legendary Clara Hughes, known widely for her humanitarian work. “It’s about more than medals,” he says. “Clara is now a great Canadian ambassador.”

Still, medals count and Junio knows it. According to Lacroix, the younger, less experienced skater made the choice knowing his teammate had the best chance at a medal for Canada. “He probably just felt, ‘Why not? I’ll have my chance again’.”cn domain

Such a decision, though, is taken with a leap of faith. “Gil knows better than anyone, after his injury, that things can happen,” says McIlveen, who adds that no one can say for certain how he would have fared in the race. “But I believe he’s coming back for the gold in Korea.”

Until then, both men will bask in immense pride for their young athletes, each of whom showed the world this week what makes a true Olympian.

“Today, talking with the young skaters here, I am using this moment as a catalyst, a spark,” says Lacroix. “They now see the power of a positive gesture, how much of a ripple effect it can have.”

There is talk of having Junio carry the Canadian flag in the closing ceremonies. If so, it would be a first time the honour was bestowed on a competitor who didn’t compete.cn domain

I’ll bet I’m not the only Canadian who thinks it’s the perfect time to break with tradition.