Olympic speed skater Denny Morrison won a gold medal in the men's team pursuit! Check out his favourite places in Vancouver and Richmond:

About Denny

Age: 24

Sport: Speed Skating

Home Turf: Richmond, B.C.

When not carrying the dreams of a nation, what do you do?

“In the off-season, I spend most of my time public speaking… to school kids or a group of up-and-coming speed skaters. Other times, as a corporate spokesperson for my personal sponsors and sponsors of Speed Skating Canada. The other 11 months of the year, training and competing for speed skating has always been my main priority.”

If you weren't an Olympian, what would you be?

“A doctor.”

How long have you been skating?

“My parents signed me up to learn to skate (in order to play hockey like a normal, small-town, Canadian kid) with the local speed-skating club in Chetwynd, B.C., in 1989. This will be my 20th year on skates.”

Denny Morrison's Picks

Best Breakfast

“Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe on 4th Avenue in Kitsilano has a unique atmosphere and serves up a good brunch.”

Best Dinner

“Chop, in Richmond, has a cool outdoor patio and huge booths and tables. There’s a classy lounge on one half of the restaurant and a dining room on the other, which are connected by a series of amazing, tunnel-like hallways.”

Best Drinks

“As with Chop, I love any place with big booths seating nine or more, which is something that Speakeasy on Granville provides. It’s right downtown Vancouver, which makes it a fun place to start or finish the night.”

Local Hangout

“The Flying Beaver Bar & Grill is an out-of-the-way restaurant on the Fraser River in Richmond. They serve microbrewed beer and you can watch float planes take off and land on the river right next to you while you eat.”

Want to know more? Check out what other Whistler and Vancouver spots our Olympic athletes recommend