Olympic Athletes

Gaétan Boucher

Over the course of his athletic career, Gaétan Boucher achieved nineteen international speed skating victories, broke numerous records and garnered the Canadian record for most medals won at a single Olympics, winning two Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal at the 1984 Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo. That same year, Mr. Boucher was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada, a highly distinguished honour denoting an outstanding achievement that made a significant contribution to Canada. Mr. Boucher was also decorated Knight of the National Order of Quebec.




Jeffrey Buttle

Jeffrey Buttle burst onto the international scene in 2002 when he upset the favourites to win the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Championships, a feat he repeated in 2004. In 2005, Buttle earned his first World Championships medal, followed by an Olympic Bronze medal victory at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino. More recently, two stellar performances at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships in Sweden placed him on the top step of the podium, when he achieved yet another Gold - making Buttle the first Canadian man to win the World Figure Skating Champion title in 11 years. His commitment to his sport extends beyond his own skating. In June 2006, the members of the Canadian national team elected him as national team captain. He was also the athlete representative on the Skate Canada Officials Advisory Committee. While Buttle has retired from competitive skating, he continues to perform in a variety of shows and benefit events.



Kathleen Heddle

Canadian rower Kathleen Heddle and her long-time rowing partner Marnie McBean were the first Canadians to win three Olympic Gold medals over teh 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games in Coxless Pairs, Eights Women and Double Sculls Women's Rowing. Additionally, Heddle was part of the Quadruple Sculls team that won an Olympic Bronze medal in the 1996 Games. In 1997, Heddle was awarded the Order of British Columbia and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Heddle also was awarded the Thomas Keller Medal by FISA, the International Rowing Federation, for her outstanding career in international rowing.


Marnie McBean

Marnie McBean is one of Canada's most decorated Olympians, and an expert in turning potential into performance. As one of only two Canadians ever to win three Gold medals in the Summer Olympics, she is used to performing under pressure. Her 12 World and Olympic medals bear witness to this. After a record-breaking rowing career, she is now Manager of Olympic Preparation with the Canadian Olympic Committee. In the years leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she worked closely with athletes to prepare, emotionally and psychologically, helping to transform their potential into reality. She has the same role leading up to the 2010 Vancouver Games. Her job, simply, is to ensure the highest performance possible.

A member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Guinness Book of World Records, and a recipient of the Governor General's Medal, McBean, concurrent to her Olympic career, also managed to finish a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario. She is also actively involved in helping to promote the safety, health and activity of Canada's youth as well as many sport and athlete development groups.

She is presently the Manager of Olympic Preparation for the 2010 Canadian Olympic team.

Lori-Ann Muenzer

A race or journey to success is made up of a series of defining moments. At 38 years of age, Lori-Ann was the underdog in cycling at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, but as far she was concerned, she was just getting started.

In a cycling career that has spanned twenty years, Lori-Ann has seen it all - the glory of winning more than a dozen national titles, as well as defeat and injuries. Instead of quitting, she raised the bar. A story of personal challenges, physical setbacks, and an unbelievable drive for success has earned Lori-Ann Canada's first ever Olympic Gold medal in cycling and a permanent place in the history books.