Paddling community to recognize careers of retiring National Team athletes - August 22nd, 2012

DARTMOUTH, NS – The careers of six members of the CanoeKayak National Team will be recognized at a celebration and awards ceremony at the conclusion of the Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships. Presentations to honour the retiring athletes will take place on Saturday, August 25 at 4:45 p.m. at the awards area by Senobe Aquatic Club at 6 Nowlan Drive, Dartmouth, NS.

The list of athletes retiring from the National Team at the end of this competitive season includes an Olympian bronze medalist and three Nova Scotian Olympians. All of the retiring athletes will be competing at the Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships on Lake Banook.

	Thomas Hall      Pointe-Claire, QC 11 years on the National Team (2000-2012) Thomas marked his spot in the history books as an Olympic medalist by winning bronze in the C1 1000 at the 2008 Beijing Games. He first made waves on the international paddling scene in 1999 when he won a gold medal in C1 1000 at the Junior World Championships in Croatia. He won a silver medal at the 2006 World Championships in the C4 1000 metre. At Pan American Championships in 2003, Thomas won gold in the C1 1000 metre and paired with Ian Mortimer to win bronze in the C2 500 metre. He was also the first canoer to win the overall world cup title in 2008. Thomas grew up paddling at the Pointe-Claire Canoe Club and has won multiple medals at World Cups and Canadian Championships.
	Karen Furneaux       Waverley, NS 15 years on the National Team (1995-2010)   Karen began her paddling career in 1988 and ten years later, she became the first Nova Scotian athlete to win a world championship in any sport, with a dominant performance in the K2 200 metre. She is a nine-time ICF World Canoe Championships medalist; with two gold, three silver, and four bronze medals. Karen is also a three-time Olympian. Her best finish came in the K-2 500m event in Sydney in 2000, with a fifth place finish. Karen grew up paddling at the Cheema Aquatic Club in Waverley, NS and is still involved with the club.
	Andrew Russell   Dartmouth, NS 6 years on the National Team (2007-2012)   Andrew grew up paddling with his three brothers at the Banook Canoe Club. After some time away for university, Andrew remerged on the Canadian paddling scene in 2006 and won a silver medal in the C4 1000 at World Championships in his first year back to competition. Andrew teamed up with Gabriel Beauchesne-Sévigny of Trois-Rivières, QC to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games where the crew place placed fifth in the 500 metre and sixth in the 1000 metre.
	Richard Dalton       Halifax, NS 14 years on the National Team (1999-2012)   Richard Dalton began his paddling at the age of 5 at the Maskwa Aquatic Club. He went on to compete at the 2004 Olympic Games in two events. He placed sixth in both the C1 500 metre and the C2 1000 metre with partner Michael Scarola at the Athens Games. Richard has proven himself as a versatile athlete by placing top five in all race distances sanctioned by the International Canoe Federation. He won a silver medal at the 2000 World Marathon Championships in Dartmouth, with his partner Michael Scarola in C2. In 2005, Richard earned a bronze medal in the C1 1000m at the World Championships in Zagreb. In the later part of his career, Richard became a 200-metre sprint specialist and qualified the Olympic spot for Canada in the C1 200 by winning gold at the Pan American Games last October.
	Mylanie Barré        Lac-Beauport, QC 13 years on the National Team (1999-2012)   Mylanie was a member of the Canadian Olympic Team in 2004 and 2008. A highlight of her career was her seventh place finish in the K2 500 metre at the 2004 Olympic Games with partner Caroline Brunet, who she considers an important role model and influence in her life. In 2008 she placed fifteenth in the K2 500 metre with Kristin Gauthier. Mylanie is a World bronze medalist in the K-2 1000m event which she earned at the 2003 World Championships in Gainesville, Georgia. She was originally born in Budapest, Hungary and both of her parents are also Olympians.
	Ian Mortimer         Ottawa, ON 7 years on the National Team (2005-2012)   Ian grew up paddling at the Rideau Canoe Club in Ottawa and made his international paddling debut at the 2001 Junior World Championships. The next year Ian made his first senior podium winning two silver medals at the World University Championships. In 2003 Ian paired up with Tom Hall to win a Bronze Medal in C2 500m at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo.  He first made the Senior National Team after a successful season in 2004 and went on to compete at four Senior World Championships, highlighted by an exciting 4th place in C-4 200m at the 2009 Championships in Dartmouth. Ian is a two time World Cup gold medallist and has won 15 Canadian Championships as both a paddler and war canoe cox.

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