Homer’s mayor beams after Faulkner’s second gold medal

HOMER, Alaska (KTUU) – It was a golden week for the town at the end of her career, as Homer-raised cyclist Kristen Faulkner secured an unprecedented second gold medal in her Paris Olympics debut.

On Sunday, Faulkner stunned the world by winning a gold medal in road cycling.

Just three days later, she was one of four cyclists who led Team USA to victory over New Zealand in the women’s team pursuit final.

Ken Castner, Homer’s mayor, was on a ferry from Homer to Ketchikan when Faulkner won her second gold medal.

“The news spread within 10 minutes of the race on the ferry – because I was in the cafeteria – I stood up and said, ‘An athlete from Homer just won her second gold medal.’ Cheers, and then people congratulated me … like I had won the medal,” he said, laughing.

Castner is a longtime friend of the Faulkner family and has known Kristen since she took ballet and dance classes as a little girl.

Knowing her so well, her appearance at the Paris Olympics isn’t a big surprise, but Castner said her trip to France was remarkable.

“She was in rehab in Homer a year ago, you know, after the accident when she was hit by a car,” he explained. “It’s just a wonderful story.”

It’s a story that will be told for years to come, as Homer has a new hero to bring the community together.

“But it’s a huge community-building exercise because sport crosses all boundaries, you know,” he said. “No political ties or anything like that, and so it’s a huge community-building exercise.”

“To have one – any Olympic athlete, you know, just an Olympic athlete at the Olympics – but to have one who has won two gold medals, that’s huge.

“I don’t care if you were her best friend, or if you knew her best friend, or if you knew the cousin of the guy who knew the best friend. I mean, the fragility of relationships dissolves, and everybody knows her, and everybody’s a new friend,” he said. “And, yeah, it’s just — did you hear? Did you hear? Did you hear?”

For Faulkner, nothing is less busy as she prepares for the Tour de France Femmes, which begins on Monday.

Faulkner is now the only Alaskan to win two Olympic gold medals, and the mayor of Homer is almost at a loss for words.

“She’s our girl from Homer, for goodness sake,” he said. “And she had to come from somewhere, and this is our place.”

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