John Furlong

Patriot Hearts: Inside the Olympics That Changed a Country John Furlong

A riveting insider's account of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and an extraordinary story of leadership, love of country and the ability to dream big.

When John Furlong and his family emigrated from Ireland in 1974, the customs officer greeted them with "Welcome to Canada. Make us better," an imperative that has defined Furlong's life ever since. A passionate athlete with a track record of community service, he was roped into acting as spokesperson for Vancouver's incipient Olympic bid movement back in 1996, and then spent the next fourteen years living and breathing the Olympics. Furlong and his organizing team, including some 25,000 volunteers, orchestrated a remarkable Winter Games. Patriot Hearts is the story of how they did it.

Early on Furlong realized the Olympics weren't about highways and buildings and tourism, they were about people: the athletes, and everyday Canadians who wanted to see their country shine on the world stage. He defined a vision for the games that would capture the hearts and minds of Canadians, and held to it with unwavering determination. Working with Globe and Mail columnist Gary Mason, Furlong recounts the lead-up to the Games and describes how he handled seemingly insurmountable setbacks