Cheryl Simundson had grown accustomed to the rhythms of silence and celebration whenever her daughter, Kaillie Humphries, was in a competition. At the Olympics, Humphries preferred insulating herself, tapping into a deep focus that already had brought the Canadian bobsledder two gold medals by the time of the 2018 Games.
In Pyeongchang, South Korea, though, Simundson sensed a shift. Humphries sought out her family, wanting to spend time, needing to be close. Simundson’s motherly antennae noticed, even as Humphries enhanced her legacy by claiming a bronze medal with her two-man teammate Phylicia George.
After the event, Humphries confided the issues she was facing.