“Own the Podium – Canada vs USA vs Russia”
Have you ever wondered about Own the Podium "Top Secrets"? Come and listen to Cathy Priestner's first-hand account of her experiences leading Own the Podium for three different countries; Canada, USA and Russia!
BC Alpine Annual General Meeting – Saturday, October 5th, 2013 – 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
At the Holiday Inn, 711 West Broadway in Vancouver
Cathy Priestner is the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in speed skating, first woman appointed to lead sport in Olympic Games history, and the lead author and founder of Own the Podium 2010. She is a long-time champion for the transformative power of sport and a role model for all athletes and leaders in sport.
BIO: As an Olympian, former coach, administrator, volunteer and broadcaster who has successfully been involved in every aspect of sport, leadership and management, Cathy credits the many different hats she’s worn over the years for the unique perspective she brings to her work. A dynamic leader and long-time champion for the transformative power of sport, Cathy has always dedicated her time to improve sport from grassroots in the community to high performance.
Currently, as the CEO of viaSport, Cathy focuses her energy and expertise to propel the BC sport sector and partners towards the vision of a unified effort which creates an active, healthy British Columbia where sport inspires a field of possibilities for all. She also generously volunteers her time to improve sport in BC as Chair of the BC Games Society and as Chair of the Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games, which will be the largest Special Olympics games in Canadian history.
Her previous role leading a team of 500+ as Executive Vice President of Sport and Games Operations for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, marked the eighth time Cathy has participated in the Olympic Games in some capacity. Cathy was also the lead author and founder of Own the Podium, the $110-million initiative that saw all of Canada unite to win a record-setting 14 gold medals at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
As a television broadcaster, Cathy provided colour commentary for short and long track speed skating events for CBC at the Albertville 1992 Winter Games and Nagano 1998 Winter Games. Previously, she ran the Calgary Olympic Oval.
Cathy started skating at the age of 11. Within a year, she had won her first Canadian national competition and was on her way to competing in her first World Championship as a member of the Canadian national team. In addition to top rankings at the Canada Winter Games, World Sprint and World All-Round Championships, she went on to compete in two Olympic Games: the 1972 Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan and the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria, where she won the silver medal in the 500m race, placed 6th in the 1000m race and became the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in speed skating. It was a record she held until 1994.
Following her historic medal win, Cathy was selected to carry the Canadian flag at the Closing Ceremony of the 1976 Olympic Winter Games. She and fellow Olympian Ken Read also had the honour of carrying the Olympic torch into the stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. Cathy is a two-time Olympic Order recipient, and inductee of both the Canadian Hall of Fame and the Olympic Hall of Fame.
Proud as she is of her accomplishments in the sport arena, Cathy considers being a mom and raising three children and having a balance of work, family and play as her greatest achievement.