11 Albertans Make Team Canada
Special Olympics Alberta is pleased to announce 11 Albertans making Team Canada for the upcoming 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games, taking place in Austria from March 14 to 25, 2017.
Special Olympics Team Canada will consist of 110 athletes, 35 mission staff and coaches, two team managers and one Chef de Mission, and will be competing in six different sports (alpine skiing, cross country skiing, figure skating, floor hockey speed skating, and snowshoeing) in Austria. Team Canada athletes were selected based on their performance at the recent 2016 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. Over 650 Special Olympics athletes from across Canada competed at those Games, vying for a spot on Special Olympics Team.
“What an adventure Special Olympics Team Canada is about to embark on!” said Chef de Mission for the 2017 Special Olympics Team Canada, Marian Coulson.
“The athletes demonstrated incredible determination and passion for their sport in Corner Brook and I am excited to see their journey to Austria unfold over the next several months. It is an honour to be Chef de Mission for this team and I know they will show the world the strength, power and comradery Canadians are known for when they compete in Austria in 2017!”
Austria is playing host for the Special Olympics World Games for the second time with their first experience hosting a Special Olympics World Winter Games in 1993 in Salzberg and Schladming and for the 2017 Games, Graz, Schladming and Ramsau will be the three main locations for the upcoming Winter Games. The 2017 Games will host over 3,000 athletes and 1,100 coaches from 110 countries and 3,000 volunteers will help ensure the Games are a success. Athletes from across the globe will compete in 9 sport disciplines.
Team Canada Alberta Members
Holly Burton: Coach- Cross Country Skiing, Calgary, AB
Kristen Hudson: Athlete- Cross Country Skiing, Edmonton, AB
Evan James: Athlete- Speed Skating, Stony Plain, AB
Benjamin Maeseele: Athlete- Figure Skating, Calgary, AB
Jill Mattson: Mission Staff- Speed Skating, Edmonton, AB
Sarah McCarthy: Athlete- Cross Country Skiing, Calgary, AB
Barb Prystai: Coach- Figure Skating, Calgary, AB
Katherine St. Amand: Athlete - Alpine Skiing, Calgary, AB *Moved to B.C.
Elouise Stewart: Athlete- Cross Country Skiing, Cochrane, AB
Shane Stewart: Athlete- Cross Country Skiing, Canmore, AB
JorDen Tyson: Athlete- Figure Skating, Calgary, AB
Katie Saunders: Athlete- Speed Skating, Calgary , AB
“I’m extremely proud of to be part of Team Canada and see so many of our talented Alberta athletes make the team,” said Jill Mattson, Team Canada Mission Staff and past Team Alberta Chef de Mission.
“I’m happy to see a mix of experienced and first time world competitors. Making Team Canada has been a life dream for most of the athletes and they’re ready and proud to represent Canada.”
Team Canada will start on the road to Austria next week with their first official training camp for the Games. Over the next 10 months, Special Olympics Team Canada athletes will be hard at work, training for the experience of a lifetime. For more information on Team Canada and the full team roster, go to www.specialolympics.ca. For more information on the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games, go to www.austria2017.org.
Join Special Olympics Alberta in congratulating all members of Team Canada!