Canadian Parapan Am hopefuls ready for TO2015! - Canadian Paralympic Committee Celebrates One Year to Go to the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games

OTTAWA, Aug. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - With today marking one year to go to the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games, the Canadian Paralympic Committee celebrates the spotlight shining on athlete hopefuls training for Toronto.

"Are You Ready?" asks the Toronto2015 Parapan video released this morning, featuring the intense training of three Canadian Parapan Am hopefuls: swimmer Danielle Kisser, cyclist Jaye Milley and wheelchair basketball player David Eng. The "sizzle reel" features the athletes practicing their skills in edgy, innovative ways and aims to leave viewers thinking differently about how they define sport.

The Are you Ready? video can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/8fz1ePUo00g
A high-resolution broadcast quality version is available to media for download at www.sendtonews.com

"Are we ready? Yes we are," said Team Canada Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young. "In the life of a high performance athlete, one year is a drop in the bucket. Now is the time to tweak, test the waters and see what they can demand of themselves mentally and physically. Danielle, Jaye and David are great examples of the athleticism and character of our Parapan Am athletes and we wish them and all Toronto 2015 hopefuls the best in their final year of preparation for the Games."

Meet the athletes in the "Are You Ready?" video (full bios available at Paralympic.ca/athletes):

• Jaye Milley (Calgary, Alta.) Age 23, Milley is a quadruple amputee cyclist who says, "Can't is not a word in my vocabulary." A World Cup medallist, Milley competed at the 2011 Guadalajara Parapan American Games and the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
  
• David Eng (Montreal, Que.) Age 39, Eng is bilingual and a veteran wheelchair basketball player who has won medals at three Paralympic and two Parapan American Games, including gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and bronze at the 2011 Guadalajara Parapan American Games.
  
• Danielle Kisser (Delta, B.C.) Age 17, Kisser raced in eight swimming events at the 2011 Guadalajara Parapan American Games, winning bronze in the 100-metre breaststroke. Kisser was born with achondroplasia (a common form of dwarfism).

"The Parapan Am Games is a world-class competition and the Toronto 2015 Games will feature the best athletes from the Americas and the Caribbean," added Walker-Young. "The Games offer a chance to showcase the incredible athletic ability of athletes and to challenge people's attitudes toward sport.

"The Parapan Ams mark an important stepping stone towards the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. Spectators will get to witness the best of the best competing on home turf."

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 25 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian high performance athletes with a disability and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca

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SOURCE: Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC)

or to arrange an interview, please contact: Alison Korn, Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Phone: [phone] ext. 243, Cell: 613-298-4927, [email protected]; Martin Richard, Executive Director, Communications and Marketing, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Tel: [phone] ext. 224, Cell: 613-725-4339, [email protected]