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More than 40 athletes from British Columbia will compete in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games with dreams of bringing home a gold medal. To help them reach their goal, 2010 Legacies Now and the government of British Columbia have invested in B.C.'s most promising winter athletes through a program called Game Plan BC.
Game Plan BC launched in 2003, and each year since then 2010 Legacies Now and the Province of British Columbia have used it to support approximately 400 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls with funds for coaching, training and competition. Athletes in 17 winter sports have benefited from Game Plan BC, through programs such as dry-land training camps offered by their provincial sport organizations, by accessing world-class coaches and sport performance experts and by travelling to national and international competitions.
"I've been able to take advantage of practice sessions with Curl BC coaches thanks to Game Plan BC funds," said Richmond resident Darryl Neighbour, a member of Canada's Wheelchair Curling team that will compete at the 2010 Paralympic Games. "The support that it has provided for disability sport has played a large part in my development as a high performance athlete."
Inspired by the successful bid to host the 2010 Winter Games, the Province of British Columbia and 2010 Legacies Now launched Game Plan BC in 2003. So far they have committed $7.8 million into long-term athlete development through the program. The goal is to use this investment in winter sport to see more B.C. athletes on national teams, and on the medal podium in 2010 and beyond. Medal results are expected to be seen for years to come by B.C. athletes who benefited from Game Plan BC during their development years.
"Our investment in top-level athletes has provided them with the competitive experience and skills they need to become strong medal contenders," said Bruce Dewar, CEO of 2010 Legacies Now. "These B.C. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls instill pride in their communities and will inspire a new generation of youth to try new sports and live a healthy and active lifestyle."
Canadian Sport Centre Pacific manages Game Plan BC on behalf of the Province of B.C. and 2010 Legacies Now, working closely with provincial sport organizations and sport partners to ensure the investment supports up-and-coming athletes and top-level provincial athletes.
"For the first time ever, there is a program in place that has the leadership and vision to ensure that athletes and coaches benefit from the legacy of the Games before the Games even begin," said Wendy Pattenden, CEO of Canadian Sport Centre Pacific. "It takes ten years or ten thousand hours to see the full maturation of an athlete from playground to podium. The Game Plan BC investment is in its seventh year and while we will see great results at the 2010 Games, the number of B.C. athletes targeting 2014 is substantial thanks, in large part, to this program."
For more information, visit www.2010LegaciesNow.com/game_plan_bc/.
