Canadian Paralympic Committee to look for Canada’s next Paralympic hopefuls in Toronto and Calgary

Ottawa, October 10, 2018 – The Canadian Paralympic Committee will be seeking Canada’s newest athletic talents as the next two Paralympian Search events head to Toronto and Calgary on October 27 and November 24.   

An athlete identification event that tests participant aptitudes to excel in various Paralympic sports, Paralympian Search aims to discover athletes with high development potential. The one-day event welcomes all athletes ages 14 and up with a physical or visual disability. 

The Canadian Sport Institute Ontario will co-host Paralympian Search at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on October 27. Marissa Papaconstantinou from Scarborough, Ont., one of Canada’s bright young stars in Para athletics, will be the event’s athlete ambassador and provide guidance to the participants throughout the day. Papaconstantinou, age 18, made her Paralympic debut at the Rio 2016 Games and scored a Top 10 finish in the 100m. 

“I’m so excited to meet aspiring athletes and help guide them through a fun but challenging day of testing,” said Papaconstantinou. “Paralympian Search is an important event to bring more athletes into the para sport world, and I just hope that sharing my experiences will help them on their own sport journey and show them what they can do.” 

Participants will go through a series of physical tests and learn about the different sports in which they may have the most potential to compete. Representatives from different national sport organizations will be on hand to view the testing and answer any questions. All participants will receive information on how to access sport opportunities at all levels. 

Paralympian Search in Calgary will be held in partnership with Canadian Sport Institute Calgary at WinSport on November 24. Para alpine skier Kirk Schornstein, who recently announced his retirement, will be onsite to share his story with the participants. The 25-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta. is a three-time Paralympian (Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, and PyeongChang 2018) and most recently posted three Top 10 finishes at the PyeongChang Games.   

“Sport has been a huge part of my life and it’s definitely a goal of mine to be able to help the next generation of athletes,” said Schornstein. “Paralympian Search is the perfect avenue for people to get involved in sport and discover what possibilities are out there. I started at the bottom when I first began competing but made it all the way to three Paralympic Games, and I hope to help others do the same.” 

For more information about Paralympian Search and to register for the upcoming Toronto and Calgary events, please visit: Paralympic.ca/paralympiansearch.