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Media Releases 2005
B.C. YOUTH INVITED TO ATTEND THE B.C. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC YOUTH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
New Logo and Website Launched to Celebrate Sixth ACADEMY
Vancouver, B.C. (November 7, 2005): Fifty youth from around the province will have the opportunity to experience the Olympic movement, Olympic values, and develop individual leadership abilities at the BC Olympic & Paralympic Youth Leadership Academy this coming February during the 2006 BC Winter Games in Greater Trail.
“This is a great opportunity for our young athletes from across the B.C. to meet, build friendships and strengthen leadership,” said Tourism, Sport and the Arts Minister Olga Ilich. “I encourage any interested Grade 9 and 10 students with an Olympic dream to fill out an application.”
“The Academy offers the youth of our province opportunities to experience the three pillars of the Olympic movement - sport, culture and the environment,” said Marion Lay, two-time Olympian and President and CEO of 2010 Legacies Now. “And by having the Academy incorporated into the BC Winter Games, delegates not only walk away with a leadership experience but a Games experience as well.”
The Academy also unveiled a new logo capturing the excitement and spirit of the youth of B.C. along with a new web site – www.bcacademy.ca – which includes information on the Academy, application forms, a photo gallery, and other Olympic and Paralympic links and resources.
“I am continually inspired by the youth who participate in the Academy year after year,” said Marni Abbott, three-time Paralympic gold medalist. “They are truly an exceptional group of young people who are not only actively involved in sports, but also leaders in their community.”
“My experience at the BC Olympic & Paralympic Youth Leadership Academy was one that I will never forget,” said Amy Foreman, a 2001 alumni from Creston. “The Academy not only taught me about leadership and sport but allowed me to meet many great people and form friendships with those interested in the same things. Meeting the Olympic athletes and listening to them talk about their goals and dreams - how they started out the same way we all start out, and eventually working their way to the top - was very inspiring.”
During the four-day Academy, youth in grade nine or ten are given the opportunity to hear inspirational stories from BC Olympians and Paralympians, discuss ways to embrace the Olympic values in their everyday lives, and participate in workshop sessions that include goal setting, team building, leadership development, and volunteering at the 2006 BC Winter Games. The final evening features a Dinner of Champions, where participants have the chance to interact with Olympians and Paralympians in a banquet setting.
The Academy is held bi-annually in conjunction with the BC Winter Games. The next Academy will be February 23-26, 2006 in Greater Trail and the deadline for applications is November 29, 2005.
The BC Olympic & Paralympic Youth Leadership Academy relies on the support and contributions of its Partners: 2010 Legacies Now, Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Association of BC, BC Disability Sports, BC Games Society, BC SCHOOL SPORTS, Canadian Olympic Committee, PacificSport, and Sport BC.
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Media Contacts:
Ian Buckley
Manager, Communications
2010 Legacies Now
604-659-1394
ibuckley(at)2010LegaciesNow.com
Irene Schell
BC Games Society
250-356-3012
irenes(at)bcgames.org
