Parasport to be Featured at Island Savings Family Sport & Recreation Festival Meet Para-athletes and try out Parasport activities

VICTORIA, BC, May 4, 2012 /CNW/ - Parasport will be featured for the first time at the 3^rd Annual Island Savings Family Sport & Recreation Festival on Saturday May 5 from 10 am - 4 pm. The festival - held at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence (PISE) in partnership with the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame - is a free, one-day interactive sports and recreation expo for the family. PISE is located on Camosun College's Interurban campus.

The Parasport Festival gives an opportunity for both able-bodied people and those with a disability to try a parasport first-hand, and see how fun and accessible it is. Para-athletes are still being confirmed to attend - Karen March from para-cycling will be attending. March was the recent recipient of the Athlete of the Year award at the 2012 Women in Sport Celebration in Victoria, BC. She is strong contender for competing in the Paralympics in London 2012.

"The Parasport Festivals are two years old and they have not been integrated with other able-bodied sport and recreation festivals before," says Andrea Carey, PISE's Director of Operations and Community Engagement. "We want a truly integrated festival and so want to intersperse the able bodied sports with parasport."

"The Canadian Paralympic Committee is proud to support the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence in their inclusion of parasport at the Family Sport and Recreation Festival," says Henry Storgaard, CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. "Events like these increase awareness regarding the many opportunities that Canadians with and without disabilities can access, in order to become involved in parasport - whether as participants, coaches or volunteers."

The Island Savings Family Sport & Recreation Festival is packed with dynamic, fun, interactive activities for the whole family - and is a great way to check out activities and to introduce children to a large range of sport and recreation opportunities. There will be information booths, interactive activities, sport demonstrations, climbing wall, zipline and a lot more.

For more information on the Family Sport & Recreation Festival email [email protected] or call 250-220-2510. www.piseworld.com.

For more information on Parasport Festivals, see www. www.paralympic.ca/festivals.

For information on how to get involved in parasport, visit www.paralympic.ca/getinvolved.

Backgrounder

Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence (PISE)

The Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence is a visionary partnership of Camosun College, the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific and PacificSport Victoria. The Institute is a Canadian first and brings together excellence in sport and exercise education, community health and wellness, sport technology research and world-class athlete performance services under one roof. PISE serves the community, students, high performance athletes and coaches from across the country, and in collaboration with the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific and Camosun College enables them to provide the best testing, training, education, research and rehabilitation services available in one central location.  www.piseworld.com.

The Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 46 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 Paralympic athletes 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.

Mikyla Cleal
Events Specialist
Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence
[email protected]
250-220-2585

Alison Korn
Manager Media Relations
Canadian Paralympic Committee
[email protected]
Tel: [phone] x243
Cell: 613-298-4927

Follow Your Team
www.paralympic.ca
www.facebook.com/CDNParalympics
www.twitter.com/CDNParalympics
www.youtube.com/CDNParalympics