Team Canada celebrates life beyond the Games with first ever Game Plan Day in Canada

Note to media: To schedule interviews with athletes involved in Game Plan Day in Canada, please contact Elise Marcotte ([email protected]).

TORONTO, June 5, 2018 /CNW/ - Team Canada and Deloitte are helping to support athletes develop life skills beyond sport by hosting over 60 Game Plan eligible Olympians, Paralympians and National Team athletes for a half day of concrete skills-based training. Today, athletes across five cities including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal will take part in an immersive in-office experience, supporting career development, including networking, job shadowing and interview skills preparation.

Team Canada celebrates life beyond the Games with first ever Game Plan Day in Canada. PHOTO: Alex Lupul in Toronto (CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (Sponsorships))

Team Canada celebrates life beyond the Games with first ever Game Plan Day in Canada. PHOTO: Vincent Ethier in Montréal (CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (Sponsorships))

In collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, the Government of Canada and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network, Game Plan, powered by Deloitte, is Canada's total athlete wellness program. Game Plan strives to support national team athletes to live better and more holistic lives. Through the development of their skills and network, athletes are able to focus on health, education, and career opportunities both during their high-performance career and beyond. The program helps to develop mentally stronger athletes who apply what they have learned as leaders in sport for the betterment of themselves and their communities.

After returning from Games, athletes are often concerned about their next chapter and Game Plan is designed to help. One of Game Plan's priorities is to identify real-life opportunities for active athletes; by working with one of Canada's top employers, athletes can choose a field of study or have the chance to experience an environment they typically wouldn't have access to until their competitive days are finished.

Deloitte is making an impact in the lives of Canadian high-performance athletes by focusing on developing their networking and career skills. As Frank Vettese, Managing Partner and Chief Executive of Deloitte Canada remarks, "In partnership with Game Plan, Deloitte is thrilled to host over 60 Olympic, Paralympic and National Team athletes at our offices across the country. Game Plan Day in Canada is a tangible example of our ongoing commitment to supporting Canadian athletes to succeed in their careers."

QUOTES:

"Game Plan is an extraordinary program that helps our athletes prepare for the workforce after they have represented the country internationally in competition. Game Plan Day in Canada offers them the opportunity to expand their networks and build valuable skills that they can use in their future careers."
- Chris Overholt, CEO and Secretary General, Canadian Olympic Committee

"Game Plan Day in Canada is a great initiative for athletes to learn and develop their full suite of leadership and life skills both while they are still in sport and after they transition from high performance sport. We know our athletes have so much to offer both on and off the field of play and are proud to support them through their careers as an athlete and beyond."
- Karen O'Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee

"Canada is proud to support its athletes, from playground to podium. Game Plan Day in Canada is a great opportunity for athletes to look forward to a promising future – a future that will allow them to continue to perform and achieve their full potential even after their sporting career. This is yet another demonstration of the strength of our sport community and of a country that invests in the success of all Canadians. "
– The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

"It is one thing to talk to athletes about career exploration or to suggest how to prepare for a job interview.  It is altogether a different opportunity to put it into practice – which is what Deloitte is providing to our athletes across the country today. These types of practical simulated experiences are invaluable."
- Cara Button, Game Plan Advisor, Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network

"Game Plan Day in Canada will help me develop the skills necessary to successfully transition from sport. I look forward to learning from a group of experienced professionals, as well as networking with individuals that will provide valuable insights as I begin to explore my future career options."
- Denny Morrison, four-time Olympic medallist, Long track speed skating

"I have been thinking about life after sport for a few years now and I am excited to have the opportunity to exchange with people from Deloitte and do some networking."
- Benoit Huot, nine-time Paralympic Champion, Swimming

"After being an active athlete for the past 20 years, I am looking forward to expanding my understanding of various roles that exist within Deloitte, and all opportunities that may come from the various corporate channels Deloitte is connected to.
- Sam Edney, PyeongChang 2018 Olympic silver medallist, Luge

"As a three-time Olympian, I am continuously striving for excellence in all areas of my life, and looking for new opportunities to grow as an individual and to expand my network as I am training for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Game Plan Day in Canada is a wonderful opportunity to do just that and to explore what life after sport may look like for me. After having my first child in September 2015, I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I want to do once I retire and, with the help of events such as this, I hope to soon discover what that may be."
- Meaghan Mikkelson Reid, two-time Olympic Champion, Hockey

About Game Plan
Game Plan, powered by Deloitte, is Canada's total athlete wellness program that strives to support national team athletes to live better and more holistic lives. Through the development of their skills and network, athletes are able to focus on health, education, and career opportunities both during their high-performance career and beyond. The program helps to develop mentally stronger athletes who apply what they have learned as leaders in sport to the betterment of themselves and their communities.

Game Plan is a collaboration between the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network (COPSIN), and the Government of Canada to provide the best resources this country has to offer to our national team athletes.

SOURCE Canadian Paralympic Committee (Sponsorships)

MEDIA CONTACTS: Elise Marcotte, Communications and Marketing Manager, Game Plan, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Joshua Su, Coordinator, Communications, Canadian Olympic Committee, Tel: [phone] / Cell: 647-464-4060, Email: [email protected]; Nicole Watts, Manager, Public Relations, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Tel: [phone] x262 / Cell: 613-462-2700, Email: [email protected]