Our Ambassadors

What does it take to become a Canadian Olympian? Dedication, perseverance and competitive spirit signify our Athlete Ambassadors. The Ambassador program boasts an array of Olympians who embody a love of sport and a desire to share their experience, knowledge and passion with Canadians. With their support, the Foundation aspires to build a sense of pride, belonging and connection through sport to inspire the youth of today and create the Olympians of tomorrow.

Nathan Brannen
Athletics

Nathan Brannen – Athletics

• Date of Birth: September 8, 1982
• Hometown: Cambridge, Ontario
• Sport: Athletics
• Olympic Highlights: Nathan Brannen is a middle distance runner. He competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (semi-finalist, 1500m) . He was the 2009 World Championship semi-finalist (1500m), 2009 Canadian National Champion (1500m) and silver medalist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games (1500m).

Cassie Campbell
Hockey

Cassie Campbell – Hockey

• Date of Birth: November 22, 1973
• Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
• Sport: Ice Hockey
• Olympic Highlights: Cassie Campbell won a silver medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games with the Canadian Women’s Ice Hockey Team. She was the captain of the Canadian team that won gold at both the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Winter Games- the only Canadian captain (male or female) to captain back to back Olympic gold medals. Campbell was the first female ice hockey player to be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Jamie Cruickshank
Bobsleigh

Jaime Cruickshank – Bobsleigh

• Date of Birth: January 4, 1986
• Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• Sport: Bobsleigh
• Olympic Highlights: Jaime Cruickshank became a member of the Canadian bobsleigh team at 18 yrs old, consistently pushing the Canada 1 sled within the top five starts in the world. Cruickshank competed in the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games as brakeman for Canada two pilot, Suzanne Gavine-Hlady, placing 13th in Olympic competition.

Curt Harnett
Cycling

Curt Harnett – Cycling

• Date of Birth: May 14, 1965
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
• Sport: Cycling
• Olympic Highlights: Curt Harnett is a four-time Olympian, a three-time Olympic medalist (1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996) and former world record holder. Harnett has competed in numerous World Championships and World Cups around the world, winning a multitude of medals. He was also inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (2005) and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (2006).

Melanie Kok
Rowing

Melanie Kok – Rowing

• Date of Birth: November 4, 1983
• Hometown: St. Catharines, Ontario
• Sport: Rowing
• Olympic Highlights: Melanie Kok was a bronze medalist in Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She was a World Cup gold medalist in Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls in Poland (2008), a bronze medalist at the World Championships in Munich (2007) and a gold medalist at the World Championships in Gifu (2005). Kok was also Rowing Canada’s female sculler of the year (2003 and 2004).

George Karrys
Curling

George Karrys – Curling

• Date of Birth: February 15, 1967
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
• Sport: Curling
• Olympic Highlights: George Karrys represented Canada at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games as a member of the Men’s Curling Team that won silver.

Duff Gibson
Skeleton

Duff Gibson – Skeleton

• Date of Birth: August 11, 1966
• Hometown: Vaughan, Ontario
• Sport: Skeleton
• Olympic Highlights: Duff Gibson won gold at the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games and placed 10th at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games. Gibson currently spends his time coaching the Junior National Team.

Brad Gushue
Curling

Brad Gushue – Curling

• Date of Birth: June 16, 1980
• Hometown: St.John’s, NFLD
• Sport: Curling
• Olympic Highlights: Brad Gushue was a member of the Canadian Men’s Curling Team that won gold at the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games. Gushue is also a former world junior champion and six-time provincial men’s champion for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Sandy Hartley
Gymnastics

Sandy Hartley – Gymnastics

• Date of Birth: June 23, 1948
• Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
• Sport: Gymnastics
• Olympic Highlights: Sandy Hartley was British Columbia’s Provincial Champion 5 consecutive times (1966-70). She represented Canada at the 1966 and 1970 Worlds. Hartley won silver at the 1967 Pan American Games, was the 1968 national champion and Canada’s best hope going into the 1968 Olympic Games. Her highest international ranking was 17th at the 1970 World Universiade Games in Italy, at age 22.

Adam Kreek
Rowing

Adam Kreek – Rowing

• Date of Birth: December 2, 1980
• Hometown: London, Ontario
• Sport: Rowing
• Olympic Highlights: Adam Kreek was a member of the Canadian men’s 8 gold medal team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is a two-time Olympian and entrepreneur, starting his own company, GoGreen Biofuels in 2008. He won three prestigious Grand Challenge Cups at Henley Regatta, numerous World Cup titles and multiple World Championships.

Cheryl Pounder
Ice Hockey

Cheryl Pounder – Ice Hockey

• Date of Birth: June 21, 1976
• Hometown: Montreal, QC
• Sport: Ice Hockey
• Olympic Highlights: Cheryl Pounder is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. She won gold with the Canadian Women’s Ice Hockey team at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games and the 2006 Turin Games.

Elizabeth Manley
Figure Skating

Elizabeth Manley – Figure Skating

• Date of Birth: August 07, 1965
• Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Sport: Figure Skating
• Olympic Highlights: Elizabeth Manley placed 13th at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympic Winter Games and took home a silver medal at the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games. She now works as a figure skating coach and commentator.

Alexa Loo
Snowboarding

Alexa Loo – Snowboarding

• Date of Birth: October 06, 1972
• Hometown: Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Sport: Snowboarding
• Olympic Highlights: Alexa Loo represented Canada and placed 20th at the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games in the Parallel Giant Slalom event and is currently training for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Nancy Greene Raine
Alpine Skiing

Nancy Greene Raine – Alpine Skiing

• Date of Birth: May 11, 1943
• Hometown: Rossland, British Columbia
• Sport: Alpine Skiing
• Olympic Highlights: Nancy Greene Raine won gold and silver in alpine skiing at the 1968 Grenoble Olympic Winter Games. She won the overall World Cup title in 1967 and 1968 and holds the Canadian record of 14 World Cup titles ( including the Olympics). She is a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the BC Sports Hall of Fame. She was also named Canada’s female athlete of the 20th century by the Canadian Press and Broadcast News.

Catriona Le May Doan
Speed Skating

Catriona Le May Doan – Speed Skating

• Date of Birth: December 23, 1970
• Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
• Sport: Speed Skating
• Olympic Highlights: Catriona Le May Doan is a four-time Olympian, winning gold at the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Winter Games in the 500 m event. She also won a bronze medal in the 1000m at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games and numerous World Championship medals throughout her career. In 2002, she won the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s Athlete of the Year, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005, and has been inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Jennifer Robinson
Figure Skating

Jennifer Robinson – Figure Skating

• Date of Birth: December 2, 1976
• Hometown: Windsor, Ontario
• Sport: Figure Skating
• Olympic Highlights: Jennifer Robinson represented Canada at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and was a six-time Canadian Women’s Champion in figure skating. Robinson will be one of the figure skating analysts at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Brian Stemmle
Alpine Skiing

Brian Stemmle – Alpine Skiing

• Date of Birth:October 12, 1966
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Sport: Alpine Skiing
• Olympic Highlights: Brian Stemmle represented Canada at the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games, 1992 Albertville Games, 1994 Lillehammer Games and 1998 Nagano Games. Stemmle will be a CTV announcer at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Karen Stemmle
Alpine Skiing

Karen Stemmle – Alpine Skiing

• Date of Birth:January 27, 1964
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Sport: Alpine Skiing
• Olympic Highlights: Karen Stemmle represented Canada at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics Winter Games. Stemmle has obtained numerous top 5 finishes on the World Cup Circuit. She was also the Provincial, Canadian and North American champion and finished 11th overall in the world during one ski season.

Sylvie Fréchette
Synchronized Swimming

Sylvie Fréchette – Synchronized Swimming

• Date of Birth: June 27, 1967
• Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Sport: Synchronized Swimming
• Olympic Highlights: Sylvie Frechette is a two-time Olympian, winning a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games and a silver at the 1996 Olympic Games. Sylvie also won the solo World Championship and World Cup in 1991. In 1999, Sylvie was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Isabelle Turcotte-Baird
Triathlon

Isabelle Turcotte-Baird – Triathlon

• Date of Birth: September 24, 1970
• Hometown:Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
• Sport: Triathlon
• Olympic Highlights: Isabelle Turcotte Baird competed in the first Olympic triathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She currently works as a physiotherapist.

Jessica Tudos
Gymnastics

Jessica Tudos – Gymnastics

• Date of Birth: April 04, 1969
• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Sport: Gymnastics
• Olympic Highlights:Jessica Tudos represented Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. She completed her Masters degree in Educational Administration at McGill University and has been working in post secondary education for many years. She is also an entrepreneur, having created her own company KIKA Creative Enterprises.

Kathy Salmon
Luge

Kathy Salmon – Luge

• Date of Birth: March 23, 1968
• Hometown: Iserlohn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
• Sport: Luge
• Olympic Highlights: Kathy Salmon is a two-time Olympian, participating in the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games and the 1992 Albertville Games in the women’s singles event. She is currently working for Alberta Education as Curriculum Manager, ESL, facilitates Public Speaking and Self Marketing workshops for high performance athletes for the Canadian Sports Centre Calgary, and is on the Provincial Board for KidSport Alberta. She also colour comments for the World Luge Cup in Calgary each year. Salmon is a mother of three teenage children and a triathlon competitor.

Ryan Johnson
Freestyle Skiing

Ryan Johnson – Freestyle Skiing

• Date of Birth: September 13, 1974
• Hometown: Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
• Sport: Freestyle Skiing (Moguls)
• Olympic Highlights: Ryan Johnson is a two-time Olympian and four-time World Cup medalist, including two World Cup gold medals in the sport of freestyle mogul skiing. He retired from competition in 2002. He is a building technologist, and worked as a Project Manager at the Whistler Olympic Athletes Village. His career aspirations are to promote and actualize green buildings and healthy/environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Mike Leigh
Sailing

Mike Leigh – Sailing

• Date of Birth: November 25, 1984
• Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Sport: Sailing
• Olympic Highlights: Mike Leigh is a Vancouver native who has been a member of the Canadian Sailing Team since 2001 and represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He has won numerous regattas including national, international and world championships. Mike is currently training full time in effort to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tim Berrett
Athletics

Tim Berrett – Athletics

• Date of Birth: January 23, 1965
• Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• Sport: Athletics
• Olympic Highlights: Tim Berrett represented Canada in the 20km and 50km race walk events at five consecutive Olympic Games (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008).He also completed his PhD at the University of Alberta and currently owns and operates Caminata Consulting, an economic and policy research consultancy, specializing in sport and recreation issues. Tim currently serves as president of Athletics Alberta, the province’s track and field governing body.

Nathalie Lambert
Speed Skating

Nathalie Lambert – Short track speed skating

• Date of Birth: December 01, 1963
• Hometown: Montréal, Québec, Canada
• Sport: Short Track Speed Skating
• Olympic Highlights: Nathalie Lambert is a three-time Olympian, winning a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, a gold at the 1992 Games and two silvers at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games. Lambert also won 11 international competitions from 1992-94 and three World Championships (1991/93/94). She is the Chef de Mission for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games and a member of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.

Guylaine Dumont
Beach Volleyball

Guylaine Dumont – Beach Volleyball

• Date of Birth: October 9, 1967
• Hometown: St-Antoine-de-Tilly, Quebec
• Sport: Beach Volleyball
• Olympic Highlights: Guylaine Dumont represented Canada at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Dumont tied for fifth with partner Annie Martin in the women’s beach volleyball event.

Jonathan Guilmette
Speed Skating

Jonathan Guilmette – Speed Skating

• Date of Birth: August 18, 1978
• Hometown: Montreal, QC, Canada
• Sport: Speed Skating
• Olympic Highlights: Jonathan Guilmette was a gold and silver medallist at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games. He won silver at the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games and is currently a personal coach.