Canadian Sport Institute Pacific – What: An opportunity for media to ask four Canadian Olympians about their experiences with Game Plan and life as an elite athlete in an informal Q&A setting. Also sitting on the panel will be a Game Plan Advisor, who will be able to answer questions about challenges Canadian athletes encounter and what solutions the Game Plan and the Canadian sport system have in place for them.

When: October 12^th, 2016, 4:30pm-5:30pm

Where: RBC Hospitality Suite, 1055 West Georgia, 36^th Floor, Vancouver, BC

Who:

• Evan Dunfee – Olympian, Race Walk
• Nikola Girke – Olympian, Sailing
• Mark Pearson – Olympian, Field Hockey
• Mercedes Nicoll – Olympian, Snowboard
• Natalie O’Leary – Game Plan Advisor

Read more about the Olympians below 

About Game Plan:
Canadian athletes won 22 medals at the Rio Olympics and we are all so proud and excited to share in this. But what happens now that the Games are over? Many athletes take time to refocus and re-evaluate their goals in and outside of sport as being a national team athlete takes great sacrifice, commitment and accompanies many challenges. 

This is where Game Plan comes into play. Game Plan is a total athlete wellness program aimed at supporting athletes with their life outside of sport throughout their high performance career and beyond. 
 
Some of the challenges athletes face, and with which Game Plan helps, are: 

• Financial: A minimal number of elite athletes make a wage above poverty line from their sport alone
• Education: Many athletes forego or suspend their educational pursuit due to the lack of time or flexibility to their training schedules
• Mental Health: The demands and lifestyle of an elite athlete can result certain psychological struggles in if not taken care of properly
• Personal Growth: Athletes sacrifice many life experiences (e.g. Finding a career, socializing, etc.) that individuals who aren’t elite athletes may have

 —

Game Plan is a part of the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and its partner institutes throughout the COPSIN (Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network) Network. 

Please RSVP to Natalie O’Leary, Game Plan Advisor:
noleary@csipacific.ca / +1.778.679.2236

Rio & Sochi 2016 Olympians on the Panel

 

Evan Dunfee

Race Walker Evan Dunfee entered his first Olympics this past summer in Rio. He began his national team career in 2006 and has since collected many Canadian records and competed at numerous international events. Evan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology from UBC.
 

Nikola Girke

A four-time Olympic Sailor with team Canada, Nikola is among few athletes to compete in two different Olympic classes. Now a Certified Executive Coach, Nikola is self-employed, and does some consulting work.
 

Mark Pearson

Two-time Olympian with the Men’s National Field Hockey Team. Mark made his national team debut in 2005 and has since collected many national accolades and competed with clubs teams in Belgium, Germany and India. Mark holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Master’s Degree in Sport Management.
 

Mercedes Nicoll

Three-time Snowboarding Olympian. Mercedes made her international debut in 1999 and is currently a part of the RBC Olympians program. A national program providing Olympic and Paralympic athletes with the opportunity to gain valuable skills while delivering Olympics messages of excellence as a community ambassador.
 

RSVP