Olympic medalists Martin Brodeur, Scott Hamilton, Michelle Kwan and Angela
Ruggiero honor the Better Health Heroes of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter
Games

ATHLETES SHARE PERSONAL INSIGHTS AND STORIES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY LIVING IN THEIR OWN LIVES AND FOR THE COMPETITORS IN VANCOUVER

Event Kicks Off GE's Year of Better Health; healthymagination.com Provides Tips and Tools for Healthy Living

VANCOUVER, Feb. 19 /CNW/ - Olympic medalists Martin Brodeur, Scott Hamilton, Michelle Kwan and Angela Ruggiero took to the ice and saluted the Better Health Heroes of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games today to help kick off GE's Year of Better Health. The celebration took place at GE Plaza at Robson Square in downtown Vancouver and is part of healthymagination, the company's initiative which seeks to provide better health for more people through technology and innovation.

The Olympians skated alongside dozens of the Better Health Heroes - the medical staff and volunteers from the Vancouver Organizing Committee of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) who have dedicated themselves to keeping the athletes and fans healthy throughout these Games.

The group skate was preceded by a lively chat about the events and competition in Vancouver and a discussion on the importance of healthy living featuring the Olympians, VANOC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jack Taunton and GE healthymagination Vice President Mike Barber. The discussion focused on tips for healthy living, how these active and retired athletes have learned to prioritize and focus on their own wellness and how the athletes of the XXI Winter Games did the same in preparation for their events. healthymagination.com provides helpful tools and useful information for consumers to take a more proactive role in their own better health.

Comments from the executives and Olympians during the panel discussion included:

    
    -  "GE is excited to partner with this renowned group of Olympians to
       salute the Better Health Heroes of the Vancouver Games. These athletes
       are great role models to all, not just for their many accomplishments,
       but also for making the commitment to lead a healthy lifestyle," said
       Barber. "healthymagination will help everyday people take that
       initiative and be more proactive about healthy living,"

    -  "When I was competing in the Olympics, it was my job to be in shape.
       Now I have to make it a priority to get healthy, work out and get
       enough sleep," said Kwan. "My dad always said, 'Remember to take care
       of yourself,' and that's what I make sure I do now."

    -  Brodeur, who was greeted with loud cheers from the hundreds of fans
       assembled in front of the stage, told the crowd that good health is
       not just physical, but emotional as well. "When you go out every day
       to perform, you have to take care of yourself. A healthy lifestyle is
       not just exercise or eating right, it's an attitude as well," Brodeur
       said.

    -  In describing the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with
       his doctors, Hamilton said, "My relationship with my doctors has saved
       my life in my two battles with cancer. I have a two-year-old and a
       six-year-old and I want to be around to see them grow up. Having that
       close relationship with your doctors is key and not just when you're
       sick."

    -  Ruggiero pointed out that Olympians do not go it alone in preparing
       for the Games and neither should everyday people when they're trying
       to achieve their health goals. "I always have this incredible team of
       doctors, physical therapists and nutritionists to support me," she
       said. "A program like healthymagination gives all of us the tools and
       support to help achieve those goals."
    

Kwan (two-time Olympic medalist and five-time World Champion figure skater), Brodeur (goalie for Team Canada Ice Hockey and gold medalist in Salt Lake City), Hamilton (American figure skating legend and 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist), and Ruggiero (current defenseman for U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team and three-time Olympic Medalist) skated alongside the Better Health Heroes at GE Plaza at Robson Square, the iconic ice rink in Downtown Vancouver that was recently renovated with GE support and technology.

For more information about healthymagination and GE's Year of Better Health, please visit www.healthymagination.com.

About GE's healthymagination Initiative

Launched in May 2009, GE's healthymagination initiative is focused on four critical needs: low-cost technology; healthcare IT; innovation accessible to all; and consumer-driven healthcare. GE has committed that by 2015 it will:

    
    -  Invest $3 billion in research and development to launch at least 100
       innovations that will help deliver better care to more people at lower
       cost.
    -  Provide $2 billion in financing and $1 billion in technology to bring
       healthcare information technology to rural and underserved areas.
    -  Reduce the cost of procedures that use GE technologies and services
       by 15 percent and develop products tailored to underserved regions of
       the world.
    -  Reach 100 million more people every year with services and
       technologies essential for health.
    

More information at www.healthymagination.com.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Media Contacts: GE Corporate, Leigh Farris, [phone] (cell), [email protected]; Edelman, Karen Dmochowsky, [phone], [email protected]