Bryson City Olympic bronze medalist Evy Leibfarth returned home to Bryson City to a warm welcome on Aug. 14.
Bryson City and the Nantahala Outdoor Center hosted a homecoming parade for Leibfarth. During the parade, she sat on top of a well-known blue NOC bus with rafts on top as she proudly waved the Olympic flag. The parade route ended in downtown Bryson City at the visitor center, where local dignitaries spoke about Leibfarth to a crowd.
Swain County Board of Commissioners Chair Kevin Seagle presented Leibfarth with a framed proclamation declaring Aug. 14, 2024, as Evy Leibfarth Day. She was also presented with a U.S. flag that was flown over the Capitol Building in Washington by N.C. Sen. Kevin Corbin, on behalf of U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.
Prior to the parade, Leibfarth was welcomed home at the NOC in Bryson City. She had time with the media, met with many fans and spent time paddling on her home river, the Nantahala.
The Cherokee Scout spoke with Leibfarth at the NOC and talked about the moment she won her bronze medal, her time in Paris and what’s next for her. Leibfarth that winning an Olympic medal feels “unreal” and “like a dream.”
The moment she secured the medal in canoe slalom C-1, she said what was going through her mind was, “No thoughts, just pure joy. I knew that I’d secured it and then all of my friends rushed in to come hug me and my dad was there and my family was there.
“It was a really special moment because it felt like it was like a lot of the people who had gotten me there, and just to share that with them. But it also definitely didn’t feel real, and I kept thinking I was going to wake up and then have to go compete again.”
Overall, Leibfarth said being in Paris for the Olympics was an incredible experience.
“Paris is one of my favorite cities because I love their breads and their pastries and everything. That’s a big part of it for me. I’ve been going over there for a couple of years to train. It’s really fun to go to a workout and then go get a croissant or something. And then I feel like Paris is a really artsy, fashiony city and I love that,” she said.
“It’s really cool to spend time there and go to all sorts of art galleries and vintage shops, that kind of thing. I loved the experience outside of paddling. The course they made was absolutely beautiful. The water was so much fun to paddle, and overall I think it was just amazing. They did such a great job.”
In the Olympic village, the food was hit or miss with the athletes. One that sparked debate was the chocolate chip muffin and cookies. Leibfarth said she liked the cookies much more than the muffin.
During her time in Paris, she used the hashtag “GenZOlympics” on her Instagram posts and Reels. Speaking on what that means to her, Leibfarth said, “I started using it because I realized that for the first time ever, so many of the Olympians are Gen Z. And I think that something that we do really well is that we don’t take ourselves too seriously. we try to find the humor in things and just enjoy things and I think that you don’t really associate athletes with that that much.
“I think a lot of the time you think the athletes take everything really seriously all the time, and that they’re just completely locked into their sport, and by doing those kinds of videos, I was able to show that we’re just humans also. We’re here because we love it, because we’re enjoying the experience, because our friends do it and I think it’s fun to show that side of sport because it’s just not something a lot of people think.”
She said bringing a bronze medal back to western North Carolina is special for her.
“The NOC community and like the whole Swain County, western North Carolina community is like this group of people that inspired me since I was really young, supported me through everything and just really believed in this dream that I had,” Leibfarth said.
“I was like 8 years old saying that I wanted to go to the Olympics and win a medal, and the people around me here were like, ‘OK, let’s do it.’ I think just to know that I have that kind of people behind me like that, it’s really special. And then for being such a small community here, I think it packs a really big punch.
“Like we’re a loud, we’re an excited community and I’m so honored to be a part of it. I love my little small town here, and I love the people here and it’s really special to share it with them.”
When Leibfarth isn’t on the water, she enjoys creating art. While in Paris just a few weeks ago, she worked on a lot of portrait pieces.
“Honestly, I didn’t have as much time as I thought I was going to paint. I think that’s something that I’m excited to do now that I’m home for a little bit and kind of relax. But yeah, just portraits, just something to chill and take my mind off things.”
Even though she is riding the high from winning the bronze medal in Paris, she is looking ahead to two more world cups and a race in China to close out her 2024 paddling season. She also plans on doing more river paddling and possibly hosting a few camps.
“I’m hoping to get more kids into paddling,” Leibfarth said.
She also is looking ahead to the next Summer Olympics, which are in 2028 in Los Angeles, but isn’t stopping there.
“I’m definitely going for another Olympics, or two or three,” Leibfarth said.