Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and committee, for letting me speak here today in support of Bill C-47.
For the past 12 years, I have been a member of the Canadian free style national team. In that time, I have had the honour to represent Canada in competition at the past three Olympic Winter Games—Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002 and most recently Turin 2006. However, I have made the important decision to retire at the end of this season. I would really like to be able to do that at 30. I'm going to retire from hurling myself in the air to do quadruple twisting triple back flips.
Looking back at my career, I will be forever grateful for my Olympic experiences, and I know that none of them would have been possible without significant contributions of official Olympic sponsors. That is why I am here today to support the passage of Bill C-47, which protects the Olympics investment of corporate sponsors, and in doing so, encourages ongoing support of Canadian sport and Canadian Olympic athletes like me.
At my first winter games in Nagano, I was taken aback at the sheer size and scale of the event. The venues were filled with tens of thousands of spectators and the village was a small city unto itself, with every modern amenity one could imagine. They ranged from dentists to haircuts. Basically anything you would see in a normal little village, that's what happens in an Olympic village. As I continued on to Salt Lake City and to Reno, the villages and the services and amenities offered in those villages just grew.
All that is to say I've had, first-hand, an enormous amount of knowledge of the resources required to host a successful winter games. I cannot believe for a minute that they could happen without the hundreds of millions of dollars contributed by Olympic sponsors.
Beyond simply investing in the Vancouver winter games, official Olympic sponsors here in Canada are supporting the success of Canadian athletes. For example, through support provided by Own the Podium 2010, the Canadian freestyle ski team has been able to hire three new coaches, install a leading-edge video playback system at our summer water out-training facility, and host a first-ever physical conditioning camp for the entire team for six weeks, which was held in Whistler this spring. I know similar improvements have been made across other Canadian winter sports and I know Canada's results at the 2010 winter games will reflect all of this crucial support.
On a personal note, I'm what is known as an RBC Olympian. RBC has developed this program, which not only supports athletes financially, but also offers an opportunity for athletes to gain real-world work experience while still training and competing. At this point in my life, the skills and experiences I am acquiring will be invaluable in my non-sporting career.
All this being said, when I first read Bill C-47 I did have some reservations regarding the ability of athletes to promote themselves as Olympians and Paralympians. I was contacted by AthletesCAN and we shared some of these same concerns. However, after posing these questions to VANOC, I've been adequately reassured that the spirit of this legislation does not impede the rights of the athletes. Furthermore, I'm encouraged in hearing that VANOC is willing to support any amendment agreed necessary by committee that will formalize the abilities of athletes to refer to themselves as Olympians and Paralympians.
With all the contributions official Olympic sponsors have made to the Vancouver winter games and to Canadian athletes, I feel that at the very least Canada owes them the sufficient protection for their investment provided in Bill C-47.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy to answer any questions you or the other members of the committee may have.
Thank you very much for your time.