RICHMOND, BC – The inaugural Game Plan Summit and seventh annual Athlete Advance delivered planning and progress opportunities to over 200 of Canada’s top high performance athletes. Olympians, Paralympians and British Columbia’s leading athletes heard from prominent sport scientists, dietitians, mental performance consultants and renowned speakers from the business world.
The Honourable Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, opened the day with uplifting remarks on the state of sport in BC. Catriona Le May Doan captivated the audience during her keynote address highlighting transitions through sport, while the Athlete Panel including Josh Dueck, Oliver Bone, Gillian Carleton, and Leah Callahan shared their personal stories, struggles and experiences on the important topic of mental illness in sport.
The inaugural Game Plan Summit gathered national team athletes for an evening of networking with industry leaders, and was followed by a full day of seminars led by experts in brand, career and financial management. The event’s aim is to provide athletes with access to leading-edge knowledge and tools to help them best leverage their current and future opportunities. Game Plan is a collaboration between the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network (COPSIN), and Sport Canada to provide the best resources this country has to offer to our national team athletes – a team that has given so much and inspired so many.
The Athlete Advance is a conference designed to educate and inspire BC’s current and future Olympic and Paralympic athletes in their quest for podium performances. Athletes had the opportunity to attend workshops by leading experts in their respective fields as well as the chance to network and engage with partners of CSI Pacific.
QUOTES
“It was a privilege to speak in front of so many world-class Canadian athletes at the inaugural Game Plan Summit and the seventh annual Athlete Advance,” said Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. “The Government of British Columbia is particularly proud of our BC athletes who so ably represent us on the national and international stage.”
“Sport Canada is the largest contributor of direct financial support to Canada’s national team athletes. We are happy to support Game Plan and work together with our valued sport partners to ensure athletes have the support they need to be successful on and off the field of play,” said Martin Boileau, Director General, Sport Canada.
“The inaugural Game Plan Summit is a major component in delivering crucial resources and information to our athletes to help them lead successful lives and careers on and off the field of play,” said Chris Overholt, CEO, Canadian Olympic Committee. “By giving our athletes access to these crucial tools and information, we are empowering them to create a future for themselves beyond competition. Thank you to all the industry leaders who offered their invaluable expertise and to the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network and the Province of BC for hosting our first Summit.”
“On behalf of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, thank you to all partners involved in making the inaugural Game Plan Summit a success. This is indeed a world-class initiative on athlete wellness that will help Canada’s high performance athletes achieve their full potential, both on and off the field of play. The variety of resources that athletes have access to, including career planning, transition, networking and mental health are a world-class suite of services that I know will prove invaluable.” Karen O’Neill, CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee
“On behalf of the staff and board of the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, I would like to thank the presenters and partners who supported our seventh annual Athlete Advance and the Game Plan Summit so wholeheartedly,” commented Wendy Pattenden, CEO of the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. “The tools you offered the athletes will help improve their abilities and Power Podium Performances.”