01 Athletes Main WINTER

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MEET THE ATHLETES

Winter Athletes
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Summer Athletes
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Vancouver 2010 Hopefuls

55 athletes are expected to be nominated to the Canadian team. The selection process will be completed in February 2010, but until then, here is the list of our 2010 Canadian hopefuls.

Para-Alpine skiing

Athlete - Men's Team

Residence

Chris Williamson

Markham, ON

Nick Brush - Guide

Kelowna, BC

Jeff Dickson

Sudbury, ON

Josh Dueck

Vernon, BC

Kirk Shornstein

Spruce Grove, AB

Luke Donovan

Cranbrook, BC

Matthew Hallat

Squamish, BC

Morgan Perrin

Whistler, BC

Sam Danniels

Whistler, BC

Alexandra Starker

Calgary, AB

Athlete - Women’s Team

Residence

Andrea Dziewior (Jay-vi-or)

Nanaimo, BC

Arly Fogarty

Montreal, QC

Karolina Wisniewska (Vish-Nie-Ska)

Vancouver, BC

Kimberly Joines

Rossland, BC

Lauren Woolstencroft

North Vancouver, BC

Viviane Forest

Edmonton, AB

Lindsay Debou (Deboo) - Guide

Whistler, BC

Melanie Schwartz

Toronto, ON

Para-Nordic skiing

Athlete - Men's Team

Residence

Alexei Novikov (Know Vi Kov)

Ottawa, ON

Brian Berry (Guide)

Thunder Bay, ON

Brian McKeever

Canmore, AB

Graham MacLean (Guide)

Canmore, AB

Jamie Stirling (Guide)

Vancouver, BC

Jean-Thomas Boily

Orford, QC

Joel Jacques (Guide)

Hinton, AB

Kazuma Takahashi (Guide)

Liyama-shi,Japan

Lou Gibson

Langley, BC

Mark Arendz

Calgary, AB

Robert d'Arras

Nepean, ON

Robin McKeever (Guide)

Canmore, AB

Tyler Mosher

Whistler, BC

Athlete - Women’s Team

Residence

Andrea Bundon (Guide)

Vancouver, BC

Colette Bourgonje (Bore Gone Jay)

Saskatoon, SK

Courtney Knight

Burnaby, BC

Jody Barber

Smithers, BC

Margarita Gorbounova

Ottawa, ON

Mary Benson

South Surrey, BC

Robbi Weldon

Thunder Bay, ON

Shauna Maria Whyte

Hinton, AB

Wheelchair curling

Athlete

Residence

Bruno Yizek (Yit-zek)

Calgary, AB

Darryl Neighbour

Richmond, BC

Jim Armstrong

Richmond, BC

Ina Forrest

Armstrong, BC

Sonja Gaudet

Vernon, BC

Sledge hockey

Athlete

Residence

Adam Dixon

Mississauga, ON

Benoit St-Amand

St-Hubert, QC

Billy Bridges

Mississauga, ON

Brad Bowden, alternate captain

Orton, ON

Derek Whitson

Chatham, ON

Graeme Murray

Ottawa, ON

Greg Westlake, alternate captain

Mississauga, ON

Hervé Lord

Ottawa, ON

Jean Labonté, captain

Gatineau, QC

Jeremy Booker

Ajax, ON

Marc Dorion

Bourget, ON

Paul Rosen

Thornhill, ON

Ray Grassi

Windsor, ON

Shawn Matheson

Carp, ON

Todd Nicholson

Dunrobin, ON

Now that you know more about Paralympic athletes and the Paralympic Movement, invite a Hero to your school to motivate, educate and inspire.

The Paralympic Heroes program, provides a unique opportunities to inspire, educate, and motivate students. Heroes are Paralympic athletes and members of the Canadian Paralympic Family who deliver keynote and introductory addresses in presentations that are dynamic, diverse and tailored to the audience. Heroes speak about their experiences, ranging from overcoming everyday challenges and tolerance to the thrill of representing Canada at the elite Paralympic Games.

Heroes never fail to inspire, or cause an audience to marvel at the power of the human spirit.

Alpine

Brad Lennea

Brad was an active athlete and avid skier. In 1991, a motor vehicle accident left him a paraplegic. About three years after his accident some friends were working at our local ski hill and saw a group of sit-skiers; and with a lot of persuasion from their side Brad decided to try the sport. It gave him a new lease on life and he did very well indeed.

Kimberly Joines

After graduating as the athlete of the year in her high school, she moved to Lake Louise to pursue her love of snowboarding. In 2000, she broke her back jumping in the terrain park. Her Paralympic dreams began the moment she knew she would never walk again.

Matthew Hallat

Matthew was born in Vancouver, B.C. He had cancer when he was 5 and had his right leg amputated a month before his 6th birthday. But this determined individual began to ski shortly after he recovered from chemotherapy at 8 and has excelled as a skier ever since.

Athletics

Chantal Petitclerc

Chantal competed in the Paralympic Games for the first time in Barcelona in 1992, returning with two bronze medals, the start of an impressive collection that now includes an Olympic medal and sixteen Paralympic medals.

Jacques Bouchard

Basketball

Chantal Benoit

Years of dedication and hard work have turned Chantal into a world-class competitor. Her on-court determination echoes off the court. Chantal sticks to her goals and dreams with unmatched persistence.

Dave Durepos*

At the age of 20 Dave was in a motorcycle accident where he was thrown some 100 feet off his bike. After eight years of persistance and hard work he earned his first Paralympic gold medal.

Jo Kelly*

Jo was born with spina bifida; she participated in sport leisurely growing up but was only introduced to wheelchair basketball as an adult. She tried out for the 1992 Barcelona squad and felt out of her league. With hard work and determination she earned a position on the national team in 1997 and hasn't looked back.

Lori Radke

A life-long sport enthusiast, Lori was extremely active in many sports in her high school years until knee injuries rendered both knees unstable. Despite many surgeries, the instability and arthritis in her knees proved to be too much. Lori was unable to continue with stand-up sports. She did, however, discover wheelchair basketball in 1992. The sport has become a passion for her and since being named to the national team in 1994, wheelchair basketball has taken her to every World Championships and Paralympic Games since - each trip met with golden success.

Marni Abbott

Marni swam on the National Swim Team from 1985-88 and is the only athlete with a disability on the co-ed volleyball team the "Silly Girls". In 1996 she took the plunge and bungee jumped. She is an NCCP Level 3 certified coach and coached Team BC at the 1999 Canada Winter Games.

Richard Peter

Richard is a member of the Cowichan First Nation Band and works with native youth groups in promoting good habits. Richard has an interest in Radio Broadcasting and is an all-around athlete competing in racquetball, tennis, athletics and ball hockey.

Boccia

Alison Kabush

Inspired by her Dad and the thrill of competition, Alison wants to bring a medal home for her country. Canadian Individual Champion in '97, she went on to win a pairs gold medal at the Worlds in New York in '98.

Paul Gauthier

Paul has competed in a number of International events over the past 8 years; including several World Championships and the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta, and 2000 Paralympics in Sydney.

Curling en fauteuil roulant

Chris Daw*

Christopher is no stranger to the Paralympic Movement. He has enjoyed a long and successful multi-sport career. He began at the age of seven and has been competing since fourteen.

Nordic Skiing

Colette Bourgonje

Colette has taken part in three world championships, three Paralympic Games and in numerous national championships. She won two silver medals at Nagano in 1998 and placed in the top ten in all three of her events at Salt Lake City in 2002. Having known the exhilaration of sitting on the winner’s podium, Colette is regarded as one of the greatest wheelchair athletes of our time.

Rugby

David Willsie

Dave is a rugby mastermind! He's as much a coach on the court as he is a player. With his great instinct and razor sharp intelligence, nothing escapes his attention.

Shooting

Karen Van Nest

Karen first began competing in shooting in 1996. It took only one year before she was named to the Ontario Pistol Team and the Canadian National Disabled Team and has since placed 4th in Sydney and 5th in Athens.

Swimming

Anne Polinario

Anne Polinario is one of Canada's most experienced swimmers on the Swimmer's with a Disability team. At age 24, she headed to her second Paralympic Games in Athens after winning three bronze medals in Sydney.

Benoit Huot

Benoit was born with a “club foot” which has caused him to have smaller than normal muscle mass in my right calf. Growing up he was good at most sports, however, he excelled at swimming. His performance in Sydney (2000) proved to the world the depth of his talent and in Athens (2004) he top that performance claiming five gold medals and one silver medal.

Brad Sales*

Sales was born missing his left leg from above the knee and competes in the S9 category. He started swimming as a young tot and began competing at age 12.

Chelsey Gotell

In 2004, Gotell represented Canada at the Paralympic Games, and won a gold medal in the 100 m backstroke and 3 bronze medals in the 50 & 100 m freestyle and 200 IM

Donovan Tildesley

It was at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens that Tildesley proved to be one of top SWAD in the World. He finished the games with 2 silver medals in the 400 m freestyle and 200 IM events.