Meet the coaches selected for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
OTTAWA, ON (August 18, 2021) – The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) is pleased to present the 58 coaches who will be proudly representing Team Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Forty of the selected coaches, which represents more than 70%, were granted the official designation of Chartered Professional Coach® (ChPC) by the CAC, while 17 hold the status of Registered Coach (RC). ChPCs and Registered Coaches represent all sports, and they are recognized as individuals who value coaching excellence and its impact on enhancing the athlete experience.
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are set to run from August 24 to September 5, 2021 and will see Team Canada’s 118 athletes compete in 18 sports. Coaches tasked with leading their athletes at the Games are representing eight provinces and six international countries, namely England, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, and the USA.
VIEW THE FULL LIST OF TEAM CANADA COACHES
With a total of 16 coaches, athletics represents the largest contingent on hand, followed by swimming and wheelchair basketball who will each have six coaches present. Boccia, cycling, and sitting volleyball make up the next largest group with four coaches.
“We are proud of our Canadian coaches and athletes who will be competing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games,” said Lorraine Lafrenière, Chief Executive Officer of the CAC. “Their perseverance and resilience leading up to these Games is exceptional. #GoCanadaGo”
Mario Delisle, ChPC and head coach of the Boccia team, is excited to compete in Tokyo as the Paralympic Games will put an end to a two-year absence from competition.
“We are excited to get back to work in a competitive environment at the Paralympic Games,” Delisle said. “The Paralympics are special to me because it’s the only place where people involved in High-Performance parasport can be together to celebrate incredible performances from incredible people every four years. For me, the Tokyo Games represent a victory of sport and resilience in surmounting COVID-19.”
The Boccia team will also feature coach Simon Larouche, RC, who will be attending his first Paralympic Games.
“When I started getting involved in boccia, I was not thinking about the Paralympic Games because I thought it would be a temporary job,” said Larouche. “Then after the 2012 London Paralympics, it became my objective to make it to the Tokyo Games. It’s something I’ve been chasing for almost a decade.”
As Nicole Ban, RC and head coach of the national sitting volleyball team, reflects back on this past year, she’s proud of the progress her team has made and she is feeling hopeful going into Tokyo.
“Despite a particularly challenging year, we’ve had successful training sessions in the U.S., the Toronto “bubble”, and at our home base in Edmonton. It’s a credit to our players, staff and partners that we’ve continued to develop, stay positive and we look forward to showcasing our sport and making Canada proud in Tokyo,” said Ban.
For more information on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, please visit the official Canadian Paralympic Committee website.
Follow along and cheer on our Canadian team on social media throughout the Games! We invite you to share your support and tag the official CAC accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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About the Coaching Association of Canada
The Coaching Association of Canada unites stakeholders and partners in its commitment to raising the skills and stature of coaches, and ultimately expanding their reach and influence. Through its programs, the CAC empowers coaches with knowledge and skills, promotes ethics, fosters positive attitudes, builds competence, and increases the credibility and recognition of coaches.
About the Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) designation
The ChPC® is the professional designation for sport coaches in Canada. The CAC grants the official designation of the ChPC and the status of Registered Coach to professionals in the field of coaching in Canada.
The designation signals to parents, sport organizations, and to other coaches a commitment to embody and uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct in coaching.
Media Contact
Anick Michel
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Coaching Association of Canada
613-2350-5000 ext. 2353
amichel@coach.ca