Thirty-five Canadian para-swimmers have secured their spot to compete this summer as part of Team Canada at the inaugural Pan-Pacific Para-swimming Championships in Edmonton, Alberta from August 10-14, 2011. 

The team was selected based on their performances at the CANAM Championships in Minneapolis early this April. 

“I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of all the Canadian swimmers during the Can Am Championships,” said Craig McCord, National Para-swimming Coach for Swimming Canada. 

“The coaches have really done a great job preparing their swimmers and it was above my expectations that we filled 35 out of the 40 spots available at this first qualifying meet.” 

As of now, the Canadian squad has a great mix of veterans such as 3-time Paralympic Multi gold medalist, Benoit Huôt and Beijing Paralympian Valérie Grand’Maison of Montreal. 

Huôt, Grand’Maison and a handful of Canadian Para-swimmer hold Paralympic, World and World record titles. 

For McCord, his new wave of swimmers showed very promising development at the one year out rehearsal for the 2012 Paralympic Trials to be held in Montreal next April. 

“These swimmers will be in a very competitive meet [the 2011 Pan Pacific Para-swimming Championships] in August and it will ready them for the big test in London in September 2012.”

The 2011 Pan Pacific Para-swimming Championships in Edmonton will host the top London 2012 contenders from Australia, Canada, Japan, USA and select countries that have been invited to the showdown. 

The remaining 5 spots will be selected at the upcoming Speedo CANAM Championships help in Gatineau, QC this July. 

Canadian Team Roster: 

Men (16) [Swimmer, Club, Hometown, Coach]: Isaac Bouckley, NORAC, Port Hope, ON, Eric Kramer; Magnus Batara, RAPID, Richmond BC, Drew Mclure; Mike Diering, Chena, North Vancouver BC, Daryl Rudolph; Devin Gotell, CNPG, Antigonish NS, Michel Berube; Mike Heath, WAAC, Tillsonburg ON, Joni Sanders; Brian Hill, PPO, Montreal QC, Sebastien Messier; Benoit Huot, PPO, Montreal QC, Pierre Lamy; Jean-Michel Lavalliere, CSQ, Quebec City QC, Claude Lamy; Marc-Oliver Marchand, Vmax, Montreal QC, Claude Picard; Kyle McMahon, ISLAND, Victoria, BC, Martin Gurrin; Danial Murphy, SWAT, Sackville, NS, Kevin Ross; Scott Paterson, Chena, Vancouver BC, Marianne Alveraz; Michael Qing, RODS, Regina SK, Sylvan Pineau; Adam Rahier, NRST, Nanaimo BC, Scott Flood; Nathan Stein, SKSC, Maple Ridge BC, Reg Shaw; Donovan Tildesley, UBCD, Vancouver BC, Kevin Johns. 

Women (19) [Swimmer, Club, Hometown, Coach]: Cynthia Berringer, MSSAC, Mississauga ON, Mike Rutledge; Camille Berube, CNPG, Gatineau, QC, Michel Berube; Morgan Bird, CASC, Calgary Alberta, Kristina Crook; Megyn Coughlin, GFSC, Ottawa Ontario, Sheri Coughlin; Valerie Drapeau, VMAX, Montreal QC, Claude Picard; Valerie Grand'maison, McGill, Montreal QC, Peter Carpenter; Brianna Jennet-McNeil, CNPG, Ottawa Ontario, Michel Berube; Jeannick Leblanc-Normand, CAC, Quebec City QC, Heather McFarlane; Sarah Mailhot, CSQ, Quebec City QC, Marc-Andre Pelletier; Stephanie McDougall, SKSC, Maple Ridge BC, Reg Shaw; Sarah Mehain, VKSC, Vernon BC, Renate Terpstra; Summer Mortimer, Ducks, Ancaster Ontario, Craig Mortimer; Brianna Nelson, ISLAND, Victoria, BC, Martin Gurrin; Maxime-Valérie Oliver, Vmax, Montreal QC, Claude Picard; Aurelie Rivard, CNHR, Haute Richelieu, QC, France Latendrasse; Katarina Roxon, IWAS, Stephenville NL, Leonard Roxon; Rhea Schmidt, Uman, Winnipeg MB, Vlastimil Cerny; Jenna Skenieh, WAC, Windsor, ON, Bill Park; Amber Thomas, OSC, Drayton Valley Alberta, Dave McDonald. 

-30- 

More information: 
Martin Richard 
Director, Communications 
Swimming Canada 
Mob. +1 613 725 4339