Photo Rights: Canadian Paralympic Committee
The opening ceremonies for the Paralympic Games in Paris are set for Wednesday afternoon (1:30 EST) and Canadian athletes have a lot more to play for this year.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee has announced a new performance recognition program which will provide financial rewards for medals won at the Paralympic Games.
The new “Paralympic Performance Recognition” program will reward Paralympians $20,000 for winning a gold medal, $15,000 for a silver medal, and $10,000 for bronze, which is in line to what Olympic athletes get.
Similar initiatives for Paralympic athletes already exist in other countries -such as France, the United States and Australia- and a program for Canada’s Olympians has been in place since 2006.
The program will be active for the Games in Paris and each edition thereafter.
St. Thomas native Emma Reinke and the Canadian Women’s Goalball Team will be vying for a chance at a medal when group play gets underway Thursday.
Written by: K. Freeman
