NEWS: News Release
June 29, 2009
ONTARIO SUPPORTS HIGH-PERFORMANCE TRAINING
McGuinty Government Helping Athletes Reach World Stage
Left to Right: Jeff Giles, Director, McMaster Athletics and Recreation; Margarett Best, Minister of Health Promotion; Se'era Anstruther, Quest for Gold athelete; Sophia Aggelonitis, MPP for Hamilton Mountain; Colleen Cupido, Manager, David Braley Sport Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre at McMaster University.
Colleen Cupido, Manager, David Braley Sport Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre at McMaster University watches Quest for Gold athlete Sarah Kiernan run on the unique underwater treadmill in Canada's only saltwater hydrotherapy pool.
NEWS
High-performance athletes in the Golden Horseshoe will have the opportunity to train at McMaster University’s high-performance sport facilities.
The province is investing $150,000 to give Ontario’s eligible high-performanceathletes access to the university’s advanced resources, including:
- high-performance facilities and sport equipment including a hydrotherapy pool
- sport medicine services and access to certified kinesiologists, and
- analysis and research in hydrotherapy, related to “return to play” of high performance athletes.
The university’s David Braley Athletics Centre, a year-round training facility, also includes a certified indoor 200-metre track, four international squash courts, and a new Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre.
This funding comes from the $10 million Quest for Gold program which benefited 69 per cent of Olympic and 86 per cent of Paralympic athletes from Ontario who participated in the Beijing 2008 Summer Games. Quest for Gold will also provide support to many Ontario athletes who are training to represent Canada at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, and athletes who hope to represent Canada at the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.
QUOTES
“The Ontario government is committed to advancing high-performance sport in Ontario. We are proud to provide this funding so that athletes in the Golden Horseshoe area can train in one of the best university facilities in the province. This will assist in preparing our athletes for competition on the world stage.”
– Margarett Best, Minister of Health Promotion.
"I'm thrilled that McMaster's state-of-the-art equipment will be used by such talented athletes. This initiative showcases the cutting-edge research produced in Hamilton every day."
– Sophia Aggelonitis, MPP for Hamilton Mountain
"McMaster University is in the process of developing one of the leading sports medicine and high performance centers in Canada to provide Ontario athletes with a major competitive advantage. This partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and their Quest for Gold initiative is exactly the type of program we have in mind as we continue to expand.”
– Jeff Giles, McMaster Director of Athletics and Recreation
QUICK FACTS
- The David Braley Athletics Centre is one of the largest fitness centres at a Canadian University.
- Over 8,000 Ontario athletes have benefited from the Quest for Gold program.
- The Ontario government is leading the bid to host the 2015 Pan / Parapan American Games in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region.
LEARN MORE
Find out more about Ontario’s Quest for Gold program.
Get information about the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver.
McMaster’s Department of Athletics and Recreation builds on a foundation of physical activity, health, wellness and sport.
Dipika Damerla, Minister’s Office, 416-326-8497
Julie Rosenberg, Communications, 416-326-4833
