We’re thrilled to share with you the announcement of the newly nominated OLY Canada Commission Chair and Vice-Chair.
Chair: Claire Carver-Dias, OLY (Artistic Swimming – Sydney 2000)
Vice-Chair: David Calder, OLY (Rowing – Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012)
“I’ve long been a believer in the power of the Olympic movement to inspire and drive positive change in our communities and world. It’s an honour to have been elected to serve as Chair of the OLY Canada Commission, and work alongside my fellow Olympians to ensure the movement continues to make a difference.” – Claire Carver-Dias
- Eligibility: All OLY Canada Commission Members except for the COC Staff Member (Sandra) shall be eligible to serve as Chair or Vice-Chair.
- Chair role: The role of the Chair is to chair meetings and represent the Commission where necessary. Examples – WOA meeting or assembly.
- Vice-Chair role: If the Chair is unavailable for any reason, the Vice-Chair shall assume the Chair’s responsibilities.
Duration as suggested in Terms of Reference: Four years for elected members and two years for appointed members.
The objective of OLY Canada is to empower all Team Canada Olympians (active and retired) as ambassadors of the Olympic Movement. A united and engaged Team Canada Olympian community brings the Olympian status beyond competition on the field of play and brings the Olympic Movement closer to Canadian society. The OLY Canada Commission represents “Team Canada Olympians” which includes both active and retired Olympians, and brings Canada into alignment with the IOC and World Olympian Association governance requirements.
“I am excited to see how the OLY Canada Commission can help to build a stronger community for Olympians across Canada; one that’s connected through the Values of Olympism, starting in our communities across Canada and linked to a network of OLY Commissions across the world.” – David Calder
The OLY Canada Commission members are:
- Elected Members serving four year terms: David Calder OLY (Rowing – Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012), Christine Nesbitt OLY (Speed Skating – Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014), Claire Carver-Dias OLY (Artistic Swimming – Sydney 2000) and Olya Ovtchinnikova OLY (Fencing – Beijing 2008);
- COC Board Appointed Members serving two year terms: Charmaine Crooks OLY (Athletics – Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996) and Christian Farstad OLY (Bobsleigh – Lillehammer 1994, Albertville 1992);
- COC Athletes’ Commission Appointed Member serving terms based on their time on the AC: Philippe Marquis OLY (Freestyle Skiing – Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018); and
- COC Staff Appointed Member: Sandra Sassine OLY (Fencing – Beijing 2008, London 2012
Some of the first priorities for the Commission will be to celebrate the work done by Team Canada Legacy Olympians in the lead up to Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022, as well as planning for the 25th Anniversary of the Atlanta 1996 Games.
If you have any questions/feedback, send us a note at oly@olympic.ca and we’ll be more than happy to connect with you.
