(EN) Uncategorized Archives

Call for Nominations for the AthletesCAN Board of Directors

Posted on 8 October 2024 by Jacob Morris

Are you enthusiastic, passionate and committed to improving sport in Canada as an athlete leader? If you answered yes, AthletesCAN has an opportunity for you!

AthletesCAN has three (3) Board of Director positions available. Our Board of Directors is made up of current and retired Canadian athletes who are driven to effect positive change and to ensure the athlete voice is heard. All interested candidates must complete a nomination form (click here) by no later than 5:00 pm ET on Wednesday, October 16th, 2024.

For more information on current Directors and how to submit your nomination, please click here. For the Director role description, please click here.

AthletesCAN at Paris 2024

Posted on 29 August 202429 August 2024 by Jacob Morris

As the association of Canada’s senior national team athletes, AthletesCAN is made up of athletes from all across the country working to give a voice to their peers throughout the Canadian sport system. Many of our volunteers are active athletes who travel all across the world to compete for Canada at the highest level of sport. With the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games approaching, meet some of the AthletesCAN directors and volunteers who you can cheer on while they represent Canada in Paris.

Greg Stewart - F46 Shot Put

Greg has represented Canada internationally in Sitting Volleyball and Para-Athletics and is the defending F46 Shot Put Gold medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Greg was elected to a three-year term on the AthletesCAN Board of Directors in 2022 and sits on the Forum and Leadership committees. A passionate advocate for mental health, Greg regularly speaks about the importance of being vulnerable and expressing emotions in a positive, constructive fashion. In the last year, Greg has visited 28 schools and shared his message with over 8000 students. Greg is also a published author, co-authoring the children’s book “Stand Out” about his journey to Paralympic Gold.

You can watch Greg defend his Paralympic title at Stade de France on September 4, starting at 4:05 AM ET.

Bo Hedges - Wheelchair Basketball

Bo is a veteran of the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team, first joining the senior team in 2007 and now serving as one of its co-captains. His impressive resume includes representing Canada at four previous Paralympic Games, winning Gold at London 2012. An expert in governance, bylaws, and building organizational processes, Bo sat on the AthletesCAN Board of Directors from 2017-2023, serving as Vice-President for two years and Secretary for one year. Bo continues to work with AthletesCAN as a volunteer on the Leadership Committee, helping to develop tools, policies, and procedures to guide the next generation of athlete leaders. In addition to his work with AthletesCAN, Bo has served on the Board of Directors of the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society since 2007 and is currently the society’s board chair.

You can watch Bo, and the entire Wheelchair Basketball team, compete in Group A of the Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Tournament at Bercy Arena. The tournament starts on August 29, with Canada’s first game on August 30. The medals are awarded on September 7.

Nathan Clement - T1 Para-Cycling

Nathan will be competing in his first Paralympic Games as a para-cyclist in Paris, but not at his first Paralympics. As a para-swimmer, Nathan won a bronze medal at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games in the 50m butterfly and finished 7th in the same event at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Nathan retired from competition in 2018 but had his competitive fire reignited by an 11-day, 1,000 km bike trip across BC in 2020 and returned to para-sport as a cyclist in 2022. Outside of sport, Nathan works in media, contributing to stories about accessibility and disability in sport and life for a variety of outlets, in addition to performing speaking engagements. Nathan is an incredibly passionate and motivational person – both characteristics that shine through his work. Nathan currently volunteers with AthletesCAN as a member of the Sponsorship Committee, where he helps support AthletesCAN in its athlete education and empowerment work by developing partner outreach and engagement strategies and fundraising initiatives, and fund athletes across Canada.

You can watch Nathan go for Gold in the Parisian suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois in the Men’s T1-2 Time Trial on September 4, and the Men’s T1-2 Road Race on September 7.

Michael Sametz - C3 Para-Cycling

Michael began representing Canada internationally in C3 para-cycling in 2014 when he represented Canada at the UCI World Championships. After his Gold medal in the Time Trial at the 2018 Road World Championships, Michael missed almost four full years of competition due to injury and illness, before returning to the sport in 2023. In only his third competitive race since returning to the sport, Michael won Bronze in the C3 Road Race at the 2023 UCI World Championships. Michael holds a degree in accounting from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary and has previously worked with the Canadian Paralympic Committee in Revenue Generation. Michael currently volunteers with AthletesCAN as the organization’s treasurer, upholding good governance on behalf of senior national team athletes and ensuring AthletesCAN meets his high standards for organizational excellence.

You can watch Michael in the C3 Time Trial on September 4, and the C1-3 Road Race on September 7, both on the roads of the Parisian suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois.

Josh Vander Vies - Co-Chef de Mission

Josh was one of Canada’s top boccia players for over a decade, representing Canada at the Athens 2004 and London 2012 Paralympics. At London 2012, Josh and partner Marco Dispaltro became the first-ever Canadians to win a Paralympic medal in the BC4 category, winning a Bronze medal in the pairs competition. A passionate athlete advocate, Josh served as an athlete representative to the International Boccia Committee, as Chair of the Canadian Paralympic Committee Athletes’ Council from 2008 to 2012, as an AthletesCAN Board Member from 2008-17 and as AthletesCAN’s President from 2014-17. Josh remains an active volunteer with AthletesCAN as a member of the Ethical Sport Committee. In his life outside of sport, Josh runs a law practice specializing in charity law and estate litigation. In his most recent challenge, Josh is the new Director, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the Vancouver Airport Authority, where he works to make YVR a more inclusive place for all who work and travel there.

As Co-Chef, you can watch for Josh leading Team Canada’s athletes at the Paris Paralympics!

AthletesCAN Committee Applications Now Open!

Posted on 27 May 202429 May 2024 by Jacob Morris

AthletesCAN is looking for 2-3 people to join its Diversity & Equity Advisory Group, and 2-3 people to join its Sponsorship Committee. Participating in these committees requires a time commitment of approximately 3-5 hours per month, including a 1-2 hour committee meeting per month, on a volunteer basis. The exact workload and time commitment may vary depending on the projects each committee is currently undertaking.

Volunteering on an AthletesCAN committee offers a chance to support Canada’s Senior National Team athletes, engage with a passionate sport community, and develop valuable skills relevant to the work of the committee. Your efforts will contribute to promoting the #AthleteVoice in Canada, and you will build relationships with athletes and fellow volunteers, all while directly impacting the lives of athletes today. This is also a great opportunity for current and recently retired athletes looking to build their CVs with sport industry experience.

Volunteers with the Diversity & Equity Advisory Group will advise on issues of diversity and inclusion and help AthletesCAN set measurable goals for how it can improve the sport landscape with respect to diversity and equity. Volunteers on the Sponsorship Committee will help develop and implement partner engagement strategies and fundraising initiatives, and identify and monitor AthletesCAN’s brand assets. No prior experience is required to apply for these positions.

If you are interested in applying to volunteer for the Diversity & Equity Advisory Group or the Sponsorship Committee, fill out the application form here before June 7, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT. Applications received after this date may not be considered.

Advisory Notice: AthletesCAN Job Scam

Posted on 18 February 20223 March 2022 by Alan Hudes

TO: ATHLETES, MEMBERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS

We have become aware of an active job scam targeting individuals who wish to interview for a position at AthletesCAN. Please be advised that there are currently no opportunities with AthletesCAN at this time. Any job openings available with AthletesCAN will be shared on our website, from our verified social media accounts, and job posting websites.

If you are contacted about a job with AthletesCAN from an unauthorized account, please do not share any personal information or engage with the sender. AthletesCAN will not ask you unsolicited to provide this information, or to purchase anything as part of any legitimate, verified hiring process through our organization.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and are actively addressing this situation including reporting to the appropriate authorities.

For more information please contact:
[email protected]
1-888-832-4222
613-526-4025

Category: (EN) Uncategorized