Hon. Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Health and Wellness, on behalf of the Province of Prince Edward Island, sends congratulations and best wishes to Island athletes Heather Moyse, Mark Arendz and Billy Bridges, as they prepare to compete at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
“Islanders are extremely proud of the hard work, determination and skill that Heather, Mark and Billy have exhibited in reaching their Olympic dreams,” said Minister Bertram. “It is important to let them know that Prince Edward Island will be cheering them on from home.”
Heather Moyse, a native of Summerside, was named to the Canadian Women’s Bobsleigh team early today. At the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, Prince Edward Island will have two athletes competing. Billy Bridges, also a Summerside native, is a member of Canada’s Men’s Sledge Hockey team, and Mark Arendz, from Springton, is a member of the Canadian Para-Nordic Team.
“Heather, Mark and Billy are all tremendous athletes,” said Minister Bertram. “I hope that all Islanders will join me in wishing them all the best in their Olympic competitions!”
These three accomplished athletes are all familiar with international competition.
Heather has competed with the National Senior Women’s Rugby team since 2004 and as a member of the Canadian Bobsleigh Team since 2005. She finished second overall in the World Cup Circuit, set numerous push-start and track records, and finished fourth at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Billy has been on the National Sledge Hockey team since 2003 and is a five-time world champion. He is a two-time Olympian and was a member of the 2006 Canadian Paralympic Sledge Hockey team that won gold at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.
Mark began his competitive career in 2003 with the use of a ski prosthetic and racing in able-bodied competitions only. In 2009, Mark placed fourth in the individual biathlon competition at the IPC World Cup in Mount Washington, BC, and sixth in the biathlon pursuit in Vuokatti, Finland. He has had many top-ten finishes in national and international competitions.