“It is an honour to be selected as Team Canada’s leader for 2008,” said Low. “Having served as the 2004 Assistant Chef de Mission, I feel well prepared to ensure that our athletes and coaches achieve athletic excellence and podium success.”
Low has been involved in amateur sport for 20 years, both in her professional life and as a volunteer. In November 2005, Low assumed the position of President & CEO of the Canadian Sport Centre Ontario. In addition, she has served as Executive Director of Paralympics Ontario, and as Director of Sport for Toronto’s 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Bid. She began her career in sport administration working at the Ontario Volleyball Association, and spent ten years with the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation’s Ontario Games Program.
On the volunteer side, Low’s extensive Games experience includes acting as the Assistant Chef de Mission for Canada’s Paralympic Team at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. She has been involved in nine sets of Canada Games in various capacities including Chef de Mission for Team Ontario, and she also served on Canada Games Council’s Sport Committee for six years. Low is a member of the Board of Directors for the Sport Alliance of Ontario and also serves on the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Games and High Performance Committee.
Assistant Chef, Dr. Gaétan Tardif, was Chief Medical Officer for the past two Paralympic Winter Teams, as well as a Team Doctor for the past two Summer Teams. Dr. Tardif is the only Canadian to attend the last four consecutive Paralympic Games as mission staff. Dr. Tardif is currently Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Medical Officer at the Torino Rehabilitation Institute, Head of the Division of Physiatry, Department of Medicine at the University Health Network and Mount-Sinai Hospital, as well as Director of the Division of Physiatry in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
“I am thrilled to start working with Debbie on the road to Beijing,” said Dr. Tardif. “Our collective experience will ensure our athletes are well prepared to achieve record-breaking performances in China, following our Teams’ impressive performances in Torino and Athens.”
“We are excited to have Debbie and Gaétan lead our team to the 2008 Beijing Games,” said Louis Barbeau, Board Member for High Performance at CPC. “We have had a long and positive working relationship with them and we are confident they will create an ideal environment for athletes and coaches to succeed.”
The Beijing Paralympic Summer Games will be held in Beijing, China, from September 6-17, 2008.
