Mr. Speaker, today marks the official opening of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.
The Canadian Paralympic Team, made up of 49 athletes and five guides, will be led into the opening ceremony by Canada's flag-bearer, B.C.'s own two-time medallist and wheelchair curling member, Sonja Gaudet.
Our team will join the more than 575 athletes representing 45 countries in six sports at these Paralympic Games. Our Canadian athletes have been training and preparing for this incredible milestone in their sports careers for years, and I know they are ready to compete against the world's best in their pursuit of excellence in Sochi.
Our government is proud to support the Canadian Paralympic Committee with annual funding of more than $5 million in direct funding, along with funding to our Paralympians through our amateur athletes assistance program.
I, along with Canadians across the country, will be watching, cheering, and believing as our athletes compete for Canada while proudly wearing the Maple Leaf.