Own the Podium's role is to make sure that when the athletes and coaches and support staff get on the plane to Sochi, they have no regrets, they have been fully prepared, and they're able to look in the mirror and say they've done everything possible to perform to their best at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We feel very comfortable and confident that we've done that.
We take that responsibility very seriously, and we know that when the athletes do arrive in Sochi for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, they will be fully prepared. They will have ample opportunity to experience Sochi. It is quite a unique environment. Having been there and experienced it, to live, eat, and breathe, day in and day out in that particular environment will be a significant advantage for them.
They also need to manage distractions. We work very closely with athletes and coaches to protect what we call the “athlete-coach bubble”, make sure that it's distraction-free, that they are able to focus exclusively on their performance.
Both the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee are the world's best when it comes time to executing the missions of the games. We are above and beyond the rest of the world in that particular area. We know that our job is essentially done when they get on the plane, but, more importantly, we hand it over to our partners in the CPC and COC to executive a world-class games mission.