Rio 2016: Canadian Paralympic Committee announces Team Canada for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, Aug. 29, 2016 /CNW/ - It is with great excitement and pride that the Canadian Paralympic Committee today announced the athletes and coaches who will make up Team Canada at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, to be held Sept. 7 to 18.

Canada will bring a total of 162 athletes to compete in 19 sports, including the two new Paralympic sports of para-triathlon and para-canoe.

The complete list of Team Canada athletes and coaches is available to view and download at: paralympic.ca/team-canada-rio-2016.

Team Canada is led by Chef de Mission Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal, Que. and Assistant Chef de Mission Norm O'Reilly, originally of Lindsay, Ont.

"Congratulations to this entire group of dedicated, world-class athletes and coaches who have worked relentlessly to earn the honor of representing Canada in Rio," said Petitclerc. "I know that our Canadian contingent is prepared, focused and ready to take on the challenge of Team Canada's performance goal of placing in the top 16 nations in the total medal count."

Team Canada includes seven athletes recently added as a result of additional quota spots due to Russia not participating at these Games: swimmers Camille Bérubé (Gatineau, Que.), Zack McAllister (Lethbridge, Alta.), Jean-Michel Lavallière (Quebec City, Que.) and Danial Murphy (Bedford, N.S.); wheelchair fencer Mathieu Hébert (Valleyfield, Que.); and road cycling tandem Shawna Ryan (Saskatoon, Sask.) and pilot Joanie Caron (Rimouski, Que.).

FUN FACTS: Team Canada's oldest athlete is 59-year-old table tennis player Stephanie Chan (Vancouver, B.C.) while the youngest athlete is 13-year-old swimmer Danielle Doris (Moncton, N.B.). The most accomplished athlete on Team Canada heading to Rio is swimmer Benoit Huot, with 19 Paralympic medals. The Rio-bound athlete who has competed at the most Paralympic Games is wheelchair basketball player Tracey Ferguson, for whom Rio will be her seventh Paralympic Games.

PROVINCIAL BREAKDOWN BY WHERE ATHLETES ARE FROM: British Columbia (33), Alberta (19), Saskatchewan (6), Manitoba (2), Ontario (49), Quebec (41), New Brunswick (3), Nova Scotia (5), Newfoundland and Labrador (3), outside Canada (1).

BROADCAST COVERAGE: The Canadian Paralympic Committee Media Consortium will bring unprecedented broadcast and digital coverage of the Paralympic Games. The broadcast schedule will be posted shortly at: paralympic.ca/watch-team-canada.

MEDIA GUIDE: The Canadian Paralympic Team Media Guide, with athlete and coach biographies and sport information can be downloaded at: paralympic.ca/team-canada-rio-2016.

MOBILE APP: Canadians can follow Team Canada through our free mobile app available at iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/team-canada-2015/id1011390341?mt=8

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.paralympic.panam2&hl=en

PHOTOGRAPHY: Media are invited to visit photos.paralympic.ca and create an account to download high-resolution photos of Canadian Paralympic athletes at no cost for editorial use.

ABOUT RIO 2016: According to the International Paralympic Committee, up to 4,350 athletes from 161 countries plus a refugee team will travel to Rio to compete in 22 sports. At London 2012, the total was 4,237 athletes from 167 countries competing in 20 sports.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee: www.paralympic.ca

Follow the Canadian Paralympic Team:
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www.facebook.com/CDNParalympics
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www.youtube.com/CDNParalympics
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SOURCE Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC)

For further information: Alison Korn, Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Tel: [phone] ext. 243, Cell: 613-298-4927, RIO NUMBER AS OF SEPT. 1, 2016: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Martin Richard, Executive Director, Communications and Marketing, Canadian Paralympic Committee, RIO NUMBER AS OF AUG. 25, 2016: + 55 (21) 99031-7843, Email: [email protected]