Brian McKeever to lead Canadian Paralympic Team into Opening Ceremony

13-time medallist is competing in his fifth Paralympic Games
– McKeever will ski in PyeongChang with guides Graham Nishikawa and Russell Kennedy
– Opening Ceremony is March 9 at 8 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. ET airing live
on CBC/Radio-Canada across Canada

Brian McKeever (Canmore, AB) will lead the Canadian Paralympic Team into the Opening Ceremony as flag bearer at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, the Canadian Paralympic Committee announced today.

“Brian is one of those athletes we want all of Canada to know who he is and what he has been able to accomplish as a Canadian Paralympian,” said Todd Nicholson, Chef de Mission for the Canadian Paralympic Team in PyeongChang. “He has been a fantastic ambassador for Canadian sport on the global stage for so long and continues to show that our Paralympic athletes from Canada are some of the best in the world. He is very well-deserving of this great honour, and will do the Canadian Paralympic Team proud as he leads us into the Opening Ceremony. Congratulations Brian!”

McKeever possesses the most gold medals of any Canadian Winter Paralympian with 10, to go along with two silver medals and one bronze. The Para nordic skier made his Paralympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002, where he won two gold medals and one silver medal in the visually impaired category. He subsequently was named flag bearer for Canada at the Closing Ceremony. The 38-year-old, who will be skiing with guides Graham Nishikawa (Whitehorse, YK) and Russell Kennedy (Canmore, AB) in PyeongChang, is making his fifth Paralympic Games appearance.

“It’s always an honour to represent Canada, and to do that at the Paralympics is why I have kept going with my career,” McKeever said. “As athletes we live our lives in four-year chunks and I’m thrilled to be here. To be able to lead Canada into the Opening Ceremony is a wonderful thing. There are so many great athletes on this team who have done amazing things in their respective sports, and many others who will capture the world’s attention at these Games as well. It is a privilege to lead these great Canadians into the stadium and it is a responsibility I won’t take lightly!”

The Opening Ceremony will take place Friday March 9 at 8 p.m. local time in PyeongChang. CBC will kick off the festivities with a 5:30 a.m. ET pre-show, and both CBC and Radio-Canada will air the Opening Ceremony live starting at 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT. It will also be live streamed on CBC and Radio-Canada’s websites, as well as Facebook Live, Twitter Live, and Paralympic.ca.

About the Canadian Paralympic Team in PyeongChang: Canada is represented by 55 athletes in five sports at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, taking place March 9-18. #greatnessisrare