Canada’s wheelchair curling team won the prestigious Team of the Year award. This award is given to a team that excelled on the world stage in 2009 and was awarded to the wheelchair curling team for their gold medal win at the 2009 World Championships. Canada’s wheelchair curling team are the reigning gold medalists from the 2006 Paralympic Games, and will be defending this title at the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, March 12th-21st.
The Soldier On program earned the Spirit of Sport Story of the Year award, which recognizes values such as perseverance, inclusion, and a love of sport, while pursuing sporting excellence. Created in partnership by the CPC and Department of National Defense, the Soldier On program provides the resources and opportunities for ill and injured military personnel to fully and actively participate in physical fitness, health promotion, and sport activities.
"We are very honoured and humbled to accept such a distinguished Canadian Sport Award on behalf of all Canadian Forces personnel, family and friends of Soldier On that have contributed to its collective success,” said Soldier On co-founders WO Andrew Mclean and Greg Lagacé. “This award reinforces our mission of using the power of sport, physical fitness and recreation to improve the quality of life of ill and injured CF personnel, and former personnel, and their families.”
Also a parasport advocate, Maureen Orchard received the Volunteer Award. International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) President, Maureen Orchard is a full-time volunteer with over 30 years of experience. In her many different roles as President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Director, Coach, and Referee, Maureen’s efforts have been instrumental in wheelchair basketball’s growth worldwide.
“Congratulations to these three inspirational and influential recipients,” said Henry Storgaard, Chief Executive Officer of the CPC. “We are delighted that so many members of the Paralympic Movement have been honoured by the True Sport Foundation and I hope these recipients and their achievements will inspire many other Canadians to get involved in sport.”
