Island Olympian and former Canada Games double gold medal winner Jared Connaughton will take some time this weekend to share his training and competition experiences with Team PEI athletes and coaches currently preparing for the 2009 Games.
The event is supported by the 2009 Best Ever Program, which is funded by the Sport and Recreation division of the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour.
“We are thrilled to have an athlete of Jared’s stature agree to speak to our athletes and coaches and to demonstrate first hand that you never know how high you can reach until you try,” said Minister Carolyn Bertram.
The University of Texas graduate, who is from New Haven, will speak to the young athletes performing in high level competitions in their home province. He says he also has an important message for the coaches.
“The 2009 Games will give the athletes an opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd and that’s going to be very special for many of the athletes,” says Connaughton. “In previous Games, PEI has sometimes fallen into the mindset that it’s only the experience that counts. This time around, it’s time for all athletes to bring their ‘A’ game and compete at their best.”
Connaughton said he was overwhelmed as a 16 year old at the 2001 Games and was disappointed with his results. But he had the opportunity to compete again four years later in the 2005 Games, and took home two gold medals. He credits that success, together with his accomplishments at the US college level, as a springboard toward Team Canada and the recent Olympic Games in Beijing.
More than 300 athletes and team officials – the largest PEI contingent ever – will participate in the 2009 Summer Games, which will be played throughout Prince Edward Island next August.
Previous sessions sponsored by the PEI High Performance Committee included presentations by UNB sports psychologist Dr. David Scott; Ken Bagnall, the CEO of the Canadian Sports Centre for Atlantic Canada; Canadian Olympian Peter Giles who was the assistant chef de mission for Team Canada at the Beijing games; and a panel of former Canada Games coaches including Jim Rand, Peter Bolo and John Wilbert.
“I want to commend chair Alan MacAdam and the PEI High Performance Committee who are working to ensure we go into the games next summer with Island athletes who can compete at the highest level against the best in the country,” said Minister Bertram.
The session will be held on Saturday, September 27, at 1 p.m. at the Duffy Amphitheatre at UPEI. It is open to athletes, coaches, parents and fans. Participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for donation to Island Food Banks.
For more information contact Ted Lawlor, Manager Best Ever program at 368-4783.