Team Canada - as much as possible for as many as possible
Team Canada’s national sitting volleyball team enjoy rewarding training camp at The Canterbury Academy
Canada’s national sitting volleyball team trained at Canterbury Academy this week as part of a European exhibition tour.
The visit has enabled Team Canada to prepare for matches against GB this weekend in Stoke Mandeville and for the Para Pan American Games in Toronto in August.
A 13-strong men’s squad and team of 10 women athletes were brought to the school with the help of Tom Middleton, part of the sitting volleyball coaching team for Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics.
Our specialised flooring allows us to host sitting volleyball and Team Canada spent the majority of time training at the school, apart from when they played practice matches against a GB team in London.
The trip was really successful all round as Team Canada benefitted from some intensive training time in our excellent facilities, while our students gained from observing elite athletes in action.
Catherine Burford from year 7 said ..
“When I watched the volleyball people play I thought it what really emotional, although it felt really cool to have Paralympic people in our school hall training. They were really inspiring for people who want to be in the Olympics in the future.”
We have had some very positive feedback about the camp and the catering team were praised highly for their professionalism and quality of food. The Lord Mayor visited on Wednesday and there are two photographs attached to this message that were taken whilst she was here.
Tom Middleton provided this feedback on the entire trip.
'For me this was the most successful and rewarding of all the events I have helped arrange and co-ordinate. The help and support from The Canterbury Academy and 'Lifestyle' Fitness was brilliant. Any request from me or the Canadians was always met with an unequivocal 'Yes'!
The opportunity for our visitors to train in front of a continuous stream of students both from the Academy and several of its 'satellite' primaries was invaluable to their preparation for matches v GB this weekend in Stoke Mandeville, then onto Para Pan American Games in Toronto In August, hopefully gaining from this qualification for Rio 2016 .
As a Sports Academy I think exposing students to elite disabled athletes is highly beneficial, especially those from a little known sport (despite London 2012) such as Sitting Volleyball.
Particular praise must go for the three lunches, great value for money provided by the Academy Catering Unit. The food was plentiful, obviously freshly cooked and prepared onsite and served in a first class dining area. In fact the room was so well presented that when the first Canadian athletes were directed to where to eat , they exited the room thinking they had entered a corporate function ! Tammy and the two Tim’s and their staff were also most pleasant, in what I know can be a stressful environment' Tom
http://www.canterburytimes.co.uk/Canada-squad-hit-city/story-26705255-detail/story.html