Gilmore Junio is getting a medal after all.

The Canadian speed skater withdrew from the men’s 1,000 metre race in Sochi last month so teammate Denny Morrison could compete instead.

Morrison won silver in that Olympic race but it was Junio’s selflessness that made headlines and got Canadians talking.

Mike Richardson couldn’t fathom giving up his dream the way the speed skater had. The partner and creative designer for Jacknife, a Toronto design company, talked to his co-workers about Junio and how they could recognize the skater’s generous act.

Junio’s story resonates with people because it came at a time when Canadians are questioning our global identity, Richardson said.

“I think some of the shine has worn off the Canadian persona of being the super-nice people; in certain circles we’re getting knocked around a bit,” he said.

“Along come the Olympics. We’re doing really well and winning medals and we start to feel like we’re a competitive nation. Then out of nowhere, this guy reminds us that what really stand for isn’t winning or being the best or having the most money, but we’re about having compassion and selflessness. And on a world stage. And that just makes everyone super proud.”

Richardson suggested to the group that Junio deserved a medal. Once the idea was discussed, he realized they could make it a reality. Jacknife has created awards and trophies for companies in the past. They could make a medal for Junio, too, Richardson thought.

The firm’s 20 employees all jumped to work, brainstorming a design that would tell Junio’s story and say thank you for his selfless act. They settled on a three-layered disk with a maple leaf in the middle, and the words “hero,” “merci,” and “inspire” engraved on the front and sides.

“We wanted a really simple design, but have the materials have a link back to Gilmore’s story,” Richardson explained.

The medal’s top layer will be gold, because that’s the top accolade for an athlete. The centre layer will be silver, representing the medal Morrison won in Sochi thanks to Junio’s sacrifice. And the final layer will be maple wood, a nod to the Canadian people.

The medal will hang from a red leather strap, engraved with the names of some of the people who turned the idea into a reality, donating money through Jacknife’s “Thanks Gilmore” Indiegogo campaign.

Richardson says turning to crowdfunding for the project instead of paying for it themselves or getting a sponsor meant a lot of people from across the country had an opportunity to participate.

“We wanted Canadians to have a chance to be part of it, to say thanks so him,” Richardson said. “It just made sense to involve more people than less.”

The response, he said, has been overwhelming. People from across the country have called offering their gold jewelry. Kids have collected pocket change at their schools.

“We’re just excited that this guy did something so amazing and now everybody’s acting on it,” Richardson said.

By noon Tuesday, Jacknife had raised more than $6,750 for the project. Any extra money raised will go to the charity of Junio’s choice.

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Richardson said he’s “humbled” by how his idea has caught on.

“Our greatest fear was that we’d put this out there and no one would be interested,” he said, “which would be a real super-bummer because it’s such an inspiring story.”