NEWS: News Release
April 24, 2008
ONTARIO ATHLETES – ON A QUEST FOR GOLD
McGuinty Government Invests In Excellence In Sport
Ontario Athletes – On a Quest for Gold.
Tracey Ferguson, Paralympic Athlete with Minister Best.
NEWS
Ontario’s future summer Olympic and Paralympic athletes are training hard for their quest for gold.
To help with their training, Ontario athletes will benefit from a $700,000 Quest for Gold grant to the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Road to Excellence program. This investment will allow athletes with podium potential to attend more competitions, increase training and provide access to specialized equipment. The support targets eight summer sports: athletics, canoe/kayaking, diving, gymnastics, swimming, rowing, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.
In 2007-08, Ontario’s $10 million Quest for Gold program provided approximately 1,000 athletes with $3,600 - $7,300 in direct funding. It also funded a number of training, coaching and competition initiatives.
QUOTES
“This investment supports our commitment to amateur sport and provides our athletes with leadership and sport expertise to help them reach their full potential,” said Ontario Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best. “We believe in the power of athletes as role models, inspiring Ontarians to lead active, healthy lives.”
“Thank you to Minister Best and the Ontario government for their leadership in recognizing the importance of supporting our Olympic summer athletes as they reach for the podium,” said Alex Baumann, Executive Director of the Road to Excellence program and double Olympic gold medalist in swimming. “Olympic success builds national pride and a healthier nation and this investment in the Road to Excellence program will pay dividends for years to come.”
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario provided $23.7 million to amateur sport in 2007-08.
- Ontario’s annual $10 million Quest for Gold Program funds amateur athletes directly and also funds competitions and coaching programs.
- The Canadian Olympic Committee’s Own the Podium is a sister program to Road to Excellence and focuses on hopefuls for the 2010 Games.
LEARN MORE
Read more about the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Road to Excellence program.
Learn more about the four year-old Quest for Gold program, which has provided a total of $32.9 million to Ontario’s amateur athletes.
Rick Byun, Minister’s Office, 416-326-8497
Julie Rosenberg, Communications, 416-326-4833
