Mar 5, 2007

Vancouver 2010 celebrates the achievements of three promising Aboriginal athletes with launch of a new poster series.

From the Arctic tundra of Iqaluit, to the forested hills of Gatineau, to the steep slopes of Whistler, Aqpik Peter, Mareck Beaudoin and Chelsie Mitchell are ordinary youth with extraordinary passion. Their stories will inspire young people in communities across Canada with the launch of the first-ever Vancouver 2010 poster series – Find Your Passion in Sport.

“At Vancouver 2010, we have set a goal of unprecedented Aboriginal participation,” said John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Games (VANOC). “These three athletes have dreamed bigger, reached higher and have celebrated what’s possible when you try. We are very proud of their accomplishments and are excited to have them on our team, encouraging Aboriginal participation in sport across the country.”

In partnership with the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC), Canada’s national voice for Aboriginal sport, VANOC put out the call for nominations, looking to find young, aspiring Aboriginal athletes with a passion for sport. VANOC looked for nominees who were dedicated to their sport, led healthy, drug- and alcohol-free lifestyles and were good role models for other young people in their communities. More than 60 nominations were received from across Canada.

“Each of these athletes embodies the Olympic spirit. Every day they strive to be the best they can. They’ve set goals, and are working hard to achieve them,” said Lara Mussell Savage, Aboriginal Participation specialist with VANOC.

The three athletes chosen to appear in the posters reflect the three Aboriginal groups within Canada – First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Not only do the athletes compete in different disciplines, but they come from different parts of Canada. Chelsie Mitchell is a First Nations snowboarder, based in Whistler, British Columbia; Aqpik Peter is an Inuit short-track speed skater, based in Iqaluit, Nunavut; and Mareck Beaudoin is a Métis biathlete, based in Gatineau, Quebec.

The posters showcase each athlete, framed by the natural landscape where they live and train.

“This is the first poster series VANOC has created and we’re really happy with how it has turned out,” said Leo Obstbaum, VANOC’s director of design. “Our goal was to create something kids would want to take home and put up on their walls. We want the posters to inspire youth to participate in sport – any sport that may excite them.”

More than 20,000 posters have been produced and are being distributed across Canada to Aboriginal communities, schools, youth organizations and Friendship Centres. The posters are trilingual, with text in English, French and the language of each athlete’s respective Aboriginal heritage.

Mussell Savage hopes the posters will inspire young people to discover their own passions. An accomplished Aboriginal athlete herself, she knows, from first-hand experience, how participation in sport can help youth to overcome barriers in other areas of their lives, and help create healthier Aboriginal communities.

“Sport not only keeps kids active and healthy, but it also builds things like self-confidence and self-esteem,” said Mussell Savage. “Aqpik, Mareck and Chelsie demonstrate how sport can instil self-motivation, determination and passion. We hope their stories will inspire other Aboriginal youth to become healthy and active role models in their communities.”

The 2007 Aboriginal poster series is the first phase of a series that will be launched between now and 2010. The Aboriginal poster series is open to Aboriginal athletes from across Canada participating in Indigenous and mainstream sports.

To nominate a young Aboriginal athlete for future editions of the Aboriginal poster series, visit the vancouver2010.com website for nomination forms, beginning in 2008. Nomination forms will also be available on the Aboriginal Sport Circle website at www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca.

Related stories:

Chelsie Mitchell 
Aqpik Peter 
Mareck Beaudoin 
Find Your Passion