On April 28 2011...
The Canadian Paralympic Committee, and London 2012's Chef de Mission and Assistant Chef de Mission, Gaétan Tardif and Elisabeth Walker-Young, announced the Mission Staff for the Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games – including top experts in their field and prominent Paralympic medalists.
“The Canadian Paralympic Committee looks forward to working with our outstanding Mission Staff members in preparation for both upcoming Games,” said Rob Needham, Executive Director of Sport for the Canadian Paralympic Committee. “The combined experience of our Mission Staff members will ensure that Canadian Paralympic athletes will benefit from exceptional support and expertise in their quest for the podium.”
Get to know the Guadalajara 2011 Mission Staff:
Chef de Mission
Chef de Mission – Rob Needham (Vancouver, BC)
Rob has lead the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Sport department for many years, directing the preparation of the Canadian Paralympic Team at the last five Paralympic Games. He also had the privilege of serving as Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Rio 2007 Parapan American Games. Under Rob’s leadership, the CPC has developed a reputation as a world leader in preparing Paralympic missions, and has also significantly expanded its high performance programs, securing additional funding support for Paralympic NSOs while cementing Paralympic sport as a key component of the Canadian sport system.
The Chef de Mission is the volunteer leader of the Canadian delegation. As such, he/she works directly with the Assistant Chef de Mission and Paralympic Teams Manager in coordinating Canada’s participation in the 2012 Paralympic Summer Games. He/she is responsible for overseeing general planning; ensuring the responsibilities and duties of all team personnel are carried out; and overseeing Canadian Team operations and logistics.
Assistant Chef de Mission – JENNIFER LARSON (Ottawa, on)
Recently joining the CPC staff team as Director of Sport, Jennifer brings with her over 10 years’ experience in leading programs in Paralympic Sport, having worked with organizations including the Ontario Special Olympics, ParaSport Ontario and most recently as the Executive Director of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association. She has served as Mission Staff at Paralympic Games in Beijing 2008 and Atlanta 1996 and at the Parapan American Games in Rio in 2007 and has extensive experience throughout the Paralympic sport continuum, ranging from starting a club to developing national high performance plans. She has also been an international boccia referee since 1994.
The Assistant Chef de Mission assists in the execution of the duties of the Chef de Mission. The Assistant Chef de Mission and the Chef de Mission form the volunteer leadership team responsible for leading Canada’s participation in the 2012 Paralympic Summer Games. The Assistant Chef de Mission’s responsibilities include pre games preparation and post-Games wrap-up evaluation and reports, in addition to full-time duties during the Games.
Communications
Press Chief – Mark Dottori (Ottawa, ON)
Mark is the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Director, Marketing and Communications. He was involved in the CTV Olympic Celebration Tour of the 2010 Games and held progressively senior roles at the Canadian Football League, the Toronto Raptors, Rugby Canada, Canada Basketball and most recently, Callaway Golf Canada. An accredited APR from the Canadian Public Relations Society, Mark has worked at World Championships, the Grey Cup and the NBA All-Star Game.
The Press Chief works with the Canadian Paralympic Committee Communications Team to support pre and post-Games communications planning and preparation, specific to the Canadian Paralympic Team’s program for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. During the Games, the Press Chief will lead a Press team of communications professionals to deliver an exceptional Games-time media relations program.
Assistant Press Chief – Alison Korn (Ottawa, ON)
Alison is the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Manager, Media Relations. Alison wrote an amateur sports column for Sun Media for eight years along with magazine and broadcast work and was a key member of Commonwealth Games Canada’s communications team for the 2010 Delhi Games. As an athlete on the Canadian rowing team, Alison won medals at world championships and Olympic Games.
The Assistant Press Chief is responsible for the logistical side of the Games preparations regarding the Communication Team during the Games, as well as the management of one of the CPC’s media offices, any other duties as assigned by the Press Chief.
Press Attaché – Marie-Hélène Cayer (Ottawa, ON)
Marie-Hélène is Senior Coordinator, Marketing and Communications, with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and has been working with the organisation since 2009. In 2008, she worked for the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games as coordinator of the translation department, and then moved to Vancouver for the Canadian Paralympic Committee, where she worked in both high performance and communications and was a member of the 2010 Canadian Paralympic Mission Team.
The Press Attaché is responsible for the media relations of designated sports during the Games, ensuring the successful coverage of the Canadian Paralympic Team.
Medical
Chief Medical Officer– Dr. Richard Goudie (Barrie, ON)
A sports medicine physician, Dr. Goudie works with the women’s national wheelchair basketball team and is a veteran of eight international multi-sport Games, including the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
The Chief Medical Officer is the leading physician of the Canadian Team and overseas operations and all other medical staff. He/she is responsible for the overall health care of the Canadian Team, providing the best quality and continuity of care possible with the resources available.
OPERATIONS
Team Services Officer- Laura Domenicucci (Ottawa, ON)
Laura is the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Manager, Domestic Sport Development. With four years of experience in the organization, Laura brings extensive knowledge of Paralympic sport, a dedication to the development of the Paralympic system and a keen understanding of the Canadian sport system.
The Team Services Officer is responsible for the administrative and logistics support for Team Canada before, during and immediately post the Games.
Athlete Services Officer- Kirby Côté (Winnipeg, MB)
A registered remedial massage therapist, Kirby is completing her third year of a Bachelor of Science and Kinesiology degree at the University of Winnipeg. A visually-impaired swimmer, Kirby competed at three Paralympic Games and won 13 Paralympic medals.
The Athlete Services Officer is responsible for administrative and any other support required for Team Canada, specifically focused on directly supporting Canadian athletes, pre-Games, during and immediately post-Games.
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