Larry McKay
WINNIPEG, MB – Dedicated University of Winnipeg folks with specific areas of expertise are heading to Toronto to participate in the 2015 Pan Am Games, which run from July 10 to 26.
Larry McKay will be putting his coaching skills to good use. McKay is head coach of UWinnipeg’s Wesmen Men’s Volleyball Team. During the Pan Am Games, he will be Assistant Coach for Team Canada’s senior men’s volleyball team.
“It is a real honour,” said McKay, who also coached at the Pan Am Games in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “It’s about working with people and players who are at an elite level and very motivated.” McKay has been busy leading up to Games, coaching players at the World League in Calgary in May and June.
Former UWinnipeg Wesmen athletes are also heading to the games — Dustin Schneider and Tesca Andrew-Wasylik have been named to Canada’s Pan Am volleyball teams. The women’s volleyball competition takes places July 16 – 25 and the men compete July 17 – 26. UWinnipeg graduate Jay Lyon (Kinesiology and Applied Health, 2014) will represent Canada on the archery team. It will be the third Pan Am Games for Lyon. He also won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 in India and was part of the Canadian team at the 2008 Olympics in Bejing, China.
Andraea Sartison
UWinnipeg’s Events Coordinator Andraea Sartison has spent more than three years collaborating with some of Canada’s top artists to develop Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, a multi-media theatre production bringing to life the classic Jules Verne novel with a modern twist. It premieres at the Pan Am Games. The play, written by Canadian Theatre icon Rick Miller (MacHomer, Bigger Than Jesus, BOOM!), and Craig Francis opens up a conversation about the critical issue of preserving the earth’s oceans and fresh water eco systems. Sartison has an Assistant Director role, while UWinnipeg graduate and local award winning film maker Deco Dawson, along with renowned puppeteer Shawn Kettner are part of the core creative team representing Winnipeg at the Games.
“This is an incredible opportunity to work on an enormous production from beginning to fruition and to learn from some of the country’s top artists while incorporating cutting edge technology into the traditional theatre art form,” said Sartison.
Valerie Pelleck
Valerie Pelleck is an instructor in UWinnipeg’s department of Kinesiology and Applied Health and is also heading to Toronto. She expects to be primarily stationed at Ontario Place West Channel, which is the venue for open water swimming, road cycling, triathlon, wakeboard and waterskiing and marathon and race walking.
“I am really excited to be able to contribute as a medical volunteer at the largest multi-sport event ever held in Canada,” said Pelleck. “I have previously volunteered at the softball tournament at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, so it will be interesting to experience the Games in a very different capacity.”
More than 7,500 top athletes from the Americas and Caribbean will compete at more than 30 venues located across Ontario. The Parapan Am Games will be held August 7 to 15.
MEDIA CONTACT
Diane Poulin, Senior Communications Specialist, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
