The first athletes have been nominated for selection to the Canadian Paralympic Committee for its Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games Team. Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young announced this morning the names of 40 swimmers at a poolside ceremony at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.
Image Credit: (CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC))
March 25, 2015 - 11:29 AM
VERNON - Two athletes from Vernon are among 40 swimmers nominated to represent Canada this summer at the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games.
Sarah Mehain, 20, is a seasoned paralympian and will compete in four events in Toronto, while the games are a first for teammate Riley McLean. The two will compete alongside another fellow Okanagan athlete, Andrew Cooke of Penticton, during the games, according to a media release.
"It was such an honour to announce the nominations for the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games swim team this morning," Team Canada's Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young, herself a four-time Paralympic swimmer, says in the release. "It is truly a highlight moment in an athlete's career and I can still remember who I was standing next to and what I was wearing on the pool deck when I found out I had made the team for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. It was very special this morning to see the faces of the athletes as they heard their names. I know they will all be ready to swim fast and help our Canadian Parapan Am Team achieve our goal of finishing in the top three nations."
These nominations are the first of 14 teams to be nominated for selection to the Canadian Paralympic Committee for the games, which will take place Aug. 7 to 15. Canada is expected to send roughly 220 athletes to the games, with a goal of finishing in the top three nations in the total medal count. The swimming team consists of 24 men and 16 women.
Swimming Canada Para-swimming National Head Coach Craig NcCord of Richmond, B.C. will be head coach with Para-swimming Performance Coach Vince Mikuska of Chilliwack, B.C., appointed team coach. The remaining coaching staff will be selected next month.
NOMINATED PARA-SWIMMERS
*Paralympian
Image Credit: Canadian Paralympic Committee
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