Eddie the Eagle soars in Winnipeg on Jan. 7 during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
Torch Relay

WINNIPEG , Jan. 4 /CNW/ - The Eagle has landed in Canada...again!

Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards is back in Canada for another shot at Olympic history. This time, he'll stay grounded as he runs with the Olympic Flame in Winnipeg on Jan. 7 .

Edwards is an international torchbearer with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada . In 1988, Edwards became the first person from the UK to qualify for the Olympic Winter Games in ski jumping. While working as a plasterer back home, Edwards had to cross the Atlantic to train - with borrowed equipment that was too big. Together with his poor eyesight, Edwards' unlikely story endeared him to fans in Calgary and around the world.

"I am really looking forward to taking part in the Olympic Torch Relay for the Vancouver Games," says Edwards. "I hope I don't drop the torch - or trip over it! It'll be lovely to come back to Winnipeg ; it has been a long time since I was last there. I will feel very honoured and proud to be a part of the Canadian Olympic story once again. It's something that I will never forget."

Before and after his torch run, Edwards will enjoy authentic Winnipeg winter tourism experiences, including ice skating at The Forks, and a curling lesson at the oldest curling club in Western Canada with world champion curler Connie Laliberté.

"In 1988, Eddie the Eagle's perseverance and Olympic Spirit made him an international star and we're so pleased to have him back!" says Michele McKenzie, CTC president and CEO. "I'm sure he'll have a blast running with the flame in Winnipeg and I hope his many fans will experience the city and his torch run right along with him."

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), in collaboration with the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), has selected international torchbearers to participate in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay International Media Program to maximize international media coverage of the relay and spread the excitement and Olympic spirit around the world.

The international torchbearers are from CTC's global markets and include former Olympic athletes as well as entertainers and media celebrities. Their journeys through Canada will be broadcast and shared in their home countries during both the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and the 2010 Winter Games, all to inspire the world to travel to Canada .

About the CTC

The CTC is Canada's national tourism marketing organization. Our vision is inspiring the world to explore Canada . With our partners in the tourism industry and the governments of Canada , the provinces and the territories, we advertise and market Canada in 12 countries around the world, conduct industry research and studies, and promote product and industry development. For daily updates on CTC initiatives, subscribe to CTC News, available through RSS feeds and by e-mail.

Resources

Torchbearer profile

For further information: Meaghan Benmore, Hill & Knowlton Vancouver, Tel: [phone], Cell: [phone], [email protected]; Jitka Licenik, Corporate Communications Advisor, Canadian Tourism Commission, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], [email protected], www.mediacentre.canada.travel