Sask. kayaker's medals stolen
Gold and bronze medals from major competitions taken in car break-in
Last Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009 | 9:36 PM CT
CBC News
Kia Byers is hoping whoever stole her medals for kayaking will know they have no value to anyone but her, and turn them in to police. (CBC)Someone has stolen precious keepsakes from a Regina kayaker in Saskatoon on a speaking engagement about the positive value of sports.
Kia Byers, 21, won the medals, one gold and one bronze, at the 2007 Pan American games and the 2009 World Championships of canoe and kayak.
They were tucked in a knapsack in Byers' car. She was travelling with them as part of a speaking tour, spreading a positive message about the value of sports.
On Monday, a thief or thieves smashed the passenger side window of her car and took the knapsack containing the medals.
"My car had a rock thrown through the window and they stole my backpack," Byers told CBC News on Thursday. "They wouldn't have known what was inside the backpack. But what was in there were my most prized possessions."
Byers said she rummaged through garbage containers and scoured a nearby park in case the medals were tossed aside.
She said there are no precious metals in the keepsakes and so would be worthless to a thief.
But they are priceless to her.
"They are kind of like a culmination of 10 years of my hardest work," she said.
"When I won the gold medal at the Pan-Am Games, I slept with it under my pillow because I didn't want it across the room," Byers said. "They're pretty special."
Prior to losing them in a car break-in, Kia Byers was happy to show off her medals. (CBC)Byers is offering a $100 reward for the return of the medals.
"I don't want my backpack back, I don't care about the window, you can keep the Spandex clothes — I can get those again — but you can't get more medals," she said.
She suggested whoever had them could simply arrange to drop them off with Saskatoon police.
