Australian Olympic champion to run in Dawson City on Nov. 4 during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay

DAWSON CITY, YT, Nov. 3 /CNW/ - From one end of the world to the other, Australia's Winter Games star, gold medalist Alisa Camplin, couldn't be more excited to carry the Olympic Flame in Dawson City. She's all set to be an international torchbearer for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada.

Aerial skier Camplin jumped and twisted her way to gold at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City and bronze in 2006. Now a TV commentator, Camplin will be in Vancouver in February to cover the 2010 Winter Games for Australia.

But first, Camplin is exploring Canada's North. Set to run with the flame in Dawson City on Nov. 4, Camplin is enjoying uniquely northern Canadian experiences, including flight-seeing over Kluane National Park, dog mushing and touring the Klondike gold fields.

"I am privileged to carry the Olympic Flame through such a sporting, competitive and generous country," says Camplin.

"As an inspirational athlete, Alisa is the perfect person to share the beauty of Canada's North, and the thrill of the Olympic Torch Relay and the 2010 Winter Games with her fans in Australia and around the world," says Michele McKenzie, CTC president and CEO.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), in collaboration with the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), has selected 15 international torchbearers to participate in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay International Media Program to maximize international media coverage of the relay, and to spread the excitement and Olympic spirit around the world.

The international torchbearers are from CTC's global markets and include former Olympic athletes as well as entertainers and media celebrities. Their journeys through Canada will be broadcast and shared in their home countries during both the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and the 2010 Winter Games, all to inspire the world to travel to Canada.

About the CTC

The CTC is Canada's national tourism marketing organization. Our vision is inspiring the world to explore Canada. With our partners in the tourism industry and the governments of Canada, the provinces and the territories, we advertise and market Canada in 12 countries around the world, conduct industry research and studies, and promote product and industry development. For daily updates on CTC initiatives, subscribe to CTC News, available through RSS feeds and by e-mail.

    Resources
    Torchbearer feature:
    http://mediacentre.canada.travel/system/files/camplin_backgrounder_en.pdf

For further information: Meaghan Benmore, Hill & Knowlton Vancouver, Tel: (604) 692-4228, Cell: (604) 340-5025, meaghan.benmore@hillandknowlton.ca; Jitka Licenik, Corporate Communications Advisor, Canadian Tourism Commission, Tel: (604) 638-2482, Fax: (604) 638-8438, licenik.jitka@ctc-cct.ca, www.mediacentre.canada.travel