MEDIA ADVISORY - Olympic Gold Medallists in training for new international
adventures!

Jon Montgomery hiking across the Yorkshire Dales - Alexandre Bilodeau cycling Mt. Ventoux - Catriona Le May Doan golfing in Napa. Which will be the hottest auction item at this year's Gold Medal Plates?

SASKATOON, Oct. 28 /CNW/ - Some of Canada's Olympic gold medalists are undergoing a different kind of training these days. They are preparing to be a part of some international adventure trips, which will be auctioned off at the inaugural Gold Medal Plates dinner in Saskatoon on October 30th at TCU Place. These signature Gold Medal Plates trips, which are hosted by Olympic medalists and Canadian entertainment icons, have become the hottest auction items in Canada! This year there are five.

1. The World's Greatest Pub Crawl in the Famed Yorkshire Dales with Jon Montgomery and Ron James
2. Under the Tuscan Sun with Marnie McBean and Jim Cuddy
3. The Exclusive Napa Sonoma Wine Country Experience with Catriona Le May Doan and Colin James
4. The Great Wine Adventure: The Best of Provence and Burgundy and Cycling the Routes of the Tour de France in the Shadows of Mont Ventoux with Alexandre Bilodeau and Barney Bentall
5. Hockey Night in the Adriatic with Ron Maclean and Alan Doyle

"Tuscany doesn't get any better than when you travel with Gold Medal Plates," says Jim Walsh of St. John's, who attended in May 2009 with his wife Katherine Hickey. "When we thought it couldn't get any better, we were treated to Jim Cuddy and Barney Bentall 'unplugged.'

These trips were designed to both to raise funds for athletes and to give Canadians an opportunity to spend time with Olympians," says Karen Blair, Co-Founder of Gold Medal Plates. "They have been a runaway success since we began them in 2007!"

"Gold Medal Plates trip put together the gold medal combination for me - wonderful traveling companions, great food and libations. It was an experience of a lifetime," says Cheryl L. James from Calgary who recently trekked the Yorkshire Dales with Olympian Adam Kreek.

A celebration of Canadian excellence, Gold Medal Plates brings together the finest chefs, wines, athletes and Canadian entertainment. This year's entertainers in Saskatoon are Jim Cuddy, Barney Bentall, Ron James and Colin James. Olympic and Paralympic athletes will assist each competing chef, together creating and serving their signature dish to the 600+ guests attending the event. A panel of culinary judges selects the gold, silver and bronze winners; the gold medal-winning chef from Saskatoon will go on to compete at the Canadian Culinary Championships held February 18-19, 2010 in Kelowna, in the beautiful Okanagan valley.

Competing chefs are:

MALCOLM CRAIG - Beer Bros. Bakery & Cuisine, Regina
KEVIN DAHLSJO - Sublime Catering, Prince Albert
TIM DAVIES - Willow on Wascana, Regina
LEE HELMAN - Truffles Bistro, Saskatoon
RYAN MARQUIS - Delta Bessborough, Saskatoon
ANTHONY MCCARTHY - Saskatoon Club, Saskatoon
LEO PANTEL - Conexus Arts Centre, Regina
RUSTY PENNO- Boffins Club, Saskatoon
PETER PHILLIPS - Riverside Country Club, Saskatoon
DAN WALKER - Weczeria Food & Wine, Saskatoon

Some of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes in attendance include:

Adam Kreek, Rowing, Olympic Gold Medallist
Brian Price - Rowing, Olympic Gold Medallist
Cameron Bearg - Rowing, Olympic Gold Medallist
Catriona Le May Doan - Speed Skating, Olympic Double Gold and Bronze Medallist
Carla MacLeod - Ice Hockey, Olympic Double Gold Medallist
Claudette Bourgogne - Athletics / Para-Nordic, Paralympic 3 time Silver Medallist/7 time Bronze Medallist
Colleen Sostorics, Ice Hockey, Olympic Gold Medallist
Cori Morris (Bartel) - Curling, Olympic Silver Medallist
Cyprena Enweani - Athletics, Olympian
Steve Podborski - Alpine Skiing, Olympic Bronze Medallist
Derek Porter -Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist

Date:	Saturday, October 30th, 2010
Location:	TCU Place, 35 22nd Street East, Saskatoon
Timing:	4:30-4:45 pm	Media Interviews - Alexandre Bilodeau, featured athlete
	5:00 - 5:45 p.m.	VIP Reception - Interviews with chefs and other athletes
	5:45 - 6:10 p.m.	Special performance by Jim Cuddy
	6:15 - 7:45 p.m.	Culinary competition
	7:55 - 10:00 p.m.	Dessert, culinary awards, fundraising and entertainment featuring Barney Bentall, Colin James and Ron James

Gold Medal Plates' regional competitions have already been staged in Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver. On Oct. 30th, it will be Saskatoon's chance to shine, to celebrate the athletes' achievements in 2010 and show Saskatoon's support for summer and winter athletes heading to London 2012 and Sochi 2014. Other cities to follow include Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, and St. John's. Since its inception, Gold Medal Plates has donated more than $4.1 million to support Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes and has elevated the profile of Canadian cuisine and wine. For more information: www.goldmedalplates.com

Canadian Olympic Foundation - The Beneficiary of the events: Net proceeds from Gold Medal Plates are given to the Canadian Olympic Foundation to support high performance programs such as Own the Podium. To learn more about the Foundation and the programs it funds, please visit www.olympicfoundation.ca.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: Photos accompanying this release are also available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information:

Lisa Pasin, Event Partner - Saskatoon - cell: 780-903-1212