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NEWS RELEASE
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For Immediate Release March 7, 2010 |
Ministry of Healthy
Living and Sport
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LOCAL TORCHBEARERS LEAD THE PARALYMPIC FLAME’S JOURNEY
WHISTLER – The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay visits Whistler tomorrow and the torchbearers selected by the Province of British Columbia are ready to carry the flame with pride during Day 6 of the relay’s 10-day inspirational journey, Mary McNeil, Minister of State for the Olympics and ActNow BC, announced today.
“The spirit and enthusiasm for our athletes and the first-ever Paralympic Winter Games in Canada, has been amazing – from the response to our public torchbearer contest to the individuals chosen to carry the flame,” said McNeil. “The Province is honoured to be a supporting partner in the Paralympic Torch Relay, and we are proud to highlight this momentous event through the people that will make it come to life.”
“Whistler has proved itself as a world-class host city and they are going to be able to showcase that again during these Paralympic Games,” says West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre. “It all starts with this Torch Relay, and I encourage everyone to come out and support our athletes in our backyard.”
From November 2009 to January 2010, the Province organized a national contest as part of the Paralympic Torch Relay’s public torchbearer application program. The contest provided an opportunity for Canadians to be part of the experience and support the ideals of the Paralympic movement: courage, determination, inspiration and equality. The contest was a huge success with a large volume of entries and many inspiring stories submitted.
The torchbearers involved in tomorrow’s segment include Sylvia Brandt, a random-draw winner of the Province’s contest, and Tyler Mosher, a provincially nominated torchbearer.
Sylvia Brandt credits the grit and determination of all Paralympic athletes as a motivating factor in her support for the Games. In her contest application, Brandt identifies the relay as a way to empower British Columbians and Canadians to work together and ensure all people are recognized as great athletes.
Tyler Mosher had to learn to walk again after falling 10 metres while traversing a glacier in Whistler nine years ago. He started cross-country skiing as a means of rehabilitation. Tyler is now the 2009 Adaptive Snowboarding World Champion and won the first ever Adaptive Snowboarding World Cup. As the Founding Director of the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program and an Ambassador for Adaptive Snowboarding with the Canadian Snowboard Federation, Mosher looks forward to showcasing Canada’s beauty and hospitality to the world with his time as a torchbearer.
The Paralympic Torch Relay takes place March 3-12, 2010. The 2010 Paralympic Flame will open the Paralympic Winter Games on March 12, after being part of a 24-hour event in downtown Vancouver. Approximately 1,000 athletes and officials from over 40 countries are expected to take part in the Paralympic Winter Games, concluding in Whistler on March 21, 2010.
Earlier this year, the Province provided Whistler with $20,000, through the Paralympic Torch Relay Community Grant Program, to support tomorrow’s celebration.
Additional information about the contest and the contest winners can be found at www.yougottabehere.ca.
For more information about the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay and the communities involved, please visit: www.vancouver2010.com.
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Media Contact:
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Darren Beaupre Public Affairs Officer BC Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Secretariat 250 213-3334
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.
