Media Advisory - From Ottawa to London: Women's Paralympic Goalball Team to hold Open Practice and Announce Nominated Athletes

OTTAWA, July 4, 2012 /CNW/ - For the past two months, the medal-hopeful candidates for the London 2012 Women's Paralympic Goalball Team have been training - not exactly undercover - but keeping a low profile, in the gymnasium at Ottawa's Algonquin College.

Thanks to Own The Podium, these athletes have been able to centralize for the first time in their team's history. Media are invited to meet the six women nominated to the team that will compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, which run Aug. 29 to Sept. 9.

Goalball is a fast-paced, Paralympic sport played by athletes who have a visual impairment or are blind. Played three-on-three, on a volley-ball size court, players track the ball by sound as they use their bodies to defend blistering shots upwards of 80 kilometers per hour.

Coming off a bronze medal at the 2011 Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Canadian Women's Goalball Team enters the London 2012 Paralympic Games as a medal favourite.

When:	Friday, July 6, 2012 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Open practice. Video and photo opportunities. 11 a.m. to noon: Media interview opportunities.
What:	The Canadian Women's Goalball Team has relocated to Ottawa to train as a team in preparation for the Paralympic Games. Media are invited to attend an open practice and meet the six athletes nominated to go to London.
Who:	The six athletes named to the Canadian Women's Goalball Team Janice Dawson, Head Coach, Canadian Women's Goalball Team Canadian Paralympic Committee Representative
Where:	Algonquin College Gymnasium in Building A (on the Woodroffe Avenue/College Square side)
Media contact onsite: Alison Korn, Canadian Paralympic Committee. Cell: 613-298-4927

Note: The athletes nominated to the Women's and Men's Paralympic Goalball Teams will be announced at 11 a.m. EST on Friday, July 6. The men's team members are training in Vancouver and Montreal and are also available for interviews.

About the Canadian /Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 46 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian Paralympic athletes and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.

To confirm your attendance, or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Alison Korn
Manager, Media Relations
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Tel: [phone] x243
Cell: 613-298-4927
[email protected]

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