Finally, some good news: Canadian makes Olympics history, Edmonton doctor blasting off to space, and dolphins rescued after mass stranding
Yahoo Canada editors highlight the most smile-worthy and inspiring stories this week
In a world often dominated by challenging headlines, Yahoo News Canada aims to spotlight uplifting news stories both local and beyond. This week's roundup includes an Edmonton doctor breaking barriers to become Canada's first female commercial astronaut, dolphins rescued amid a historic mass stranding and mountaineers taking on some of Earth's most challenging hikes to clean up trash.
🚀 Edmonton doctor set to be 1st Canadian woman to become a commercial astronaut
Edmonton's Dr. Shawna Pandya was presented an opportunity to make her childhood dream come true, and along the way, become the first Canadian woman to be a commercial astronaut.
"I was lucky enough to be growing up in the '90s watching Canada's first female astronaut, Dr. Roberta Bondar, go to space," said Pandya in an interview with CBC's Radio Active.
"And I thought, 'Hey, Canadian women can do that?'"
The training to become an astronaut is not for the faint of heart. The mission is set to be a suborbital flight lasting up to 20 minutes at an altitude of about 100 kilometres.
"I've had 10 parabolic research flights under my belt, over 160 parabolas to date. That's what some people may know as the vomit comet ... that's where you fly up and down an airplane," Pandya said.
Pandya hopes her research will further inform the medical field down here on Earth.
"It is an honour to be representing Canada as the first commercial female astronaut. It still feels unreal to say that."
🐬 Watch: Over 100 Dolphins Saved from Historic Mass Stranding in Cape Cod
🏅 'It’s been a long journey': B.C. breakdancer makes Olympic history
Vancouver, B.C.'s very own Philip Kim, who competes as "B-Boy Phil Wizard," is set to make Canadian sports history this summer as the country's first-ever Olympic breaking athlete.
Kim won the first gold medal in B-Boys breaking competition at the Pan American Games as the dance sport made its debut at Santiago 2023 in November.
The B-boy is just as excited about what the Olympics can do for breaking, as he is about the chance to win an Olympic medal. The art form will be on full display for more people than ever before, with the potential to inspire a new generation.
"I think that's one of the biggest pulls of this. I think the idea is that we can reach a wider audience that we typically do not have access to because the Olympics has millions of viewers," Kim told CBC Sports.
"There's so much buzz around [breaking], and I think it's going to draw a lot of attention. That's the hope and dream."
The breaking competition in Paris will feature a men's and women's tournament, with 16 competitors in each. Breakers will improvise to the DJ's music and use a variety of moves to outperform their opponent each round, with judges comparing the competitors to determine the winner.
While Kim tells CBC Sports that he is getting used to becoming an Olympic athlete, he says his approach to the games is more than competition.
"I never want to cater towards the judges, I want to cater towards how I feel and how I want to dance, and to me that's always been about bringing a more positive approach, not just competing against the opponent, but also performing for the crowd a bit too," said Kim.
"My focus is really just to have fun with it."
📱Watch: AI-powered app helping blind people see the world around them
🏔️ Team of climbers clean up 2,000 pounds of trash from 3 of Earth's most challenging peaks
Few people have successfully summited the Everest region's "triple crown." These three peaks — Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, and Mt. Nuptse — are some of the most dangerous climbs, boasting some of the harshest conditions on Earth: freezing temperatures, low oxygen levels, and treacherous terrain.
Professional mountaineer Garrett Madison has achieved the Everest triple crown not once, but twice — first in 2023, the deadliest Everest climbing season on record, and again this year. But visiting the top of the world isn't just about climbing for Madison anymore. He's summited Mt. Everest 14 times, and after years of watching trash accumulate on the mountain and its surrounding peaks, he's decided to tackle the issue head-on.
He started the Madison Mountaineering Mountain Cleanup Project in the fall of 2023, and he and his team have now collected a total of 4,000 pounds of trash — 2,000 pounds in 2023 and another 2,000 pounds this year — from Everest and neighbouring peaks.
"I think we've made a big dent. There's obviously more work to be done," Madison said in an interview with Business Insider.
Do you have an uplifting moment or story you would like to share with the Yahoo Canada audience? Email us: canadatips@yahoonews.com
