Sawicki named Canada’s Chef de Mission for Sochi 2014

"The opportunity to lead a team that is striving towards excelling at the highest performance levels on an international stage is a chance of a lifetime."

The Canadian Paralympic Committee announced on Tuesday (22 January) that accomplished coach and sport leader Ozzie Sawicki will be Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

Sawicki, a resident of Cochrane, Alberta, will guide Canada toward their goal of placing in the top three nations in the gold medal count in Sochi.

A key influencer and leader in Canadian and international sport, Sawicki has extensive experience working with both Paralympic athletes and able-bodied athletes in alpine skiing.

He was head coach and programme director of the Canadian para-alpine skiing team from 2000-2004; head coach of the para-athletics programme with Athletics Canada from 2009-2011; and most recently, performance advisor to the Canadian para-equestrian team at the London 2012 Games.

Sawicki was also a Team Canada Mission Staff member and the Coaches of Canada representative at the Beijing 2008 Games and an IPC official for alpine skiing at the Vancouver 2010 Games.

At the Salt Lake 2002 Games,Sawicki was Para-Alpine Head Coach of the squad that won 12 medals of the total 15 earned by Team Canada at those Games.

"The opportunity to lead a team that is striving towards excelling at the highest performance levels on an international stage is a chance of a lifetime," Sawicki told the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

"I'm looking forward to ensuring our athletes have all the support they need, so that the success and momentum Canada experienced at the Vancouver Games can be carried through to Sochi, Russia."

The Chef de Mission is a volunteer position responsible for providing leadership and vision to the 2014 Canadian Paralympic team; acting as Team spokesperson; ensuring the responsibilities and duties of all team personnel are carried out; and building a team environment among the various members of the Canadian team.

Sawicki's first public engagement as Chef de Mission will be the Sochi Performance Update and Government of Canada Funding Announcement in partnership with Own The Podium on Thursday (24 January) at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

He will visit Sochi in March for the Chefs de Mission Seminar, oversee the selections of the key volunteer Mission Staff, and begin meeting regularly with athletes and coaches to review their needs and provide them the support and services they need to succeed.