Canada overcomes pandemic challenges to capture 25 medals at Beijing Paralympics

The cauldron was extinguished on one of the most formidable Winter Paralympics in history Sunday, with "hopes of peace," and two years into the COVID-19 global pandemic that made just getting to the Games a herculean effort.

Canada produced its second-best performance in history -- remarkable considering the huge hurdles posed by the pandemic.

International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons delivered a speech about unity with war raging in Ukraine, saying "Differences here did not divide us.

"Through this unity we have hope," he said. "Hopes for inclusion, hopes for harmony and importantly hopes for peace. Humankind hopes to live in a world where dialogue prevails."

Alpine skier Mollie Jepsen carried Canada's flag into the closing ceremony to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" at the Bird's Nest stadium, calling it the "honour of a lifetime." The 22-year-old from West Vancouver, B.C., won silver and gold despite racing on torn knee ligaments that will require surgery once she returns home.

Beijing is the second Paralympics to be held during the global pandemic. Canadian athletes faced some of the world's biggest hurdles to get the Games, due to tight travel restrictions that limited opportunities to compete and strict lockdowns that closed training facilities.

And so, Canada didn't set a medal target for Beijing. It was too tough to gauge how the team stacked up against the rest of the world.

But capped by a silver Sunday by Canada's Para-hockey team and bronze in cross-country skiing's mixed relay, the team heads home with 25 medals -- eight gold, six silver and 11 bronze. It's Canada's second-best winter medal haul after the 28 captured four years ago in South Korea.

"It's a massive success on so many levels," said