EAGLE MOUNTAIN — Along the streets of Eagle Mountain, children waved U.S. flags and adults cheered as their resident Olympian, Noelle Pikus-Pace, returned from Vancouver.
"Noelle, you're worth gold to Eagle Mountain," one sign read.
And as she saw the crowds, Pikus-Pace's eyes filled with tears.
She had just finished competing in skeleton at the just-ended 2010 Winter Olympic Games, placing fourth and missing a bronze medal by one-tenth of a second.
"This is incredible," Pikus-Pace said. "I thought the climax was after my race and the closing ceremonies."
After the parade, more than 500 friends, family and neighbors gathered at Hidden Hollow Elementary. Mayor Heather Jackson presented Pikus-Pace with Eagle Mountain's first key to the city.
"She's a very good role model for our children," Jackson said. "She shows to the kids that if they work hard, they can achieve anything."
And with a smile on her face, Pikus-Pace declared, "This is my gold medal."
The ceremony, a surprise for Pikus-Pace, also included a performance by the Hidden Hollow Elementary choir.
"This shows the caliber of people in our city," Jackson said. "It's amazing to me. And our community recognizes that, too."
And it isn't the first time the community has supported Pikus-Pace. After officially making the U.S. Olympic Skeleton Team, she returned home to find her yard covered in U.S. flags.
"It hasn't been just about me and my dream," she said. "Mixed emotions go into being done with the Olympics."
During her skeleton career, Pikus-Pace spent October to March of every year away from home, according to her husband, Janson Pace. Since their marriage in 2002, Pace has steadfastly supported his wife, even building her sled for competition.
"Whether she finished first or last didn't matter," Pace said. "Every day, it got more incredible to be there at the Olympics."
And with the other six months per year together with their 2-year-old daughter Lacee, they're prepared to finish working on their house, take family vacations and enjoy their time together.
"It'll be good to do the things we haven't been able to do," Pace said.
And Pikus-Pace had one addition to her husband's list.
"I'll bake a big chocolate cake and eat it," she said, smiling. "This starts a whole new life for me."
e-mail: eteichert@desnews.com