“In ten weeks she made the greatest comeback in Canadian sports history, becoming a symbol of hope to all.” The Montreal Gazette

From broken bones and shredded muscle to Olympic glory, Silken’s story is one of courage, perseverance and the triumph of the human spirit. In May 1992, just 10 weeks before the Olympic Games, Silken Laumann was injured in a brutal rowing accident that left her right leg shattered and useless. Reigning world champion in Single Sculls rowing, Silken was told by doctors she might never row again. This keynote address promises to deliver motivation and inspiration to athletes pursuing their dreams of athletic excellence.

Silken Laumann retired from rowing in 1999 with three Olympic medals, and since then has become President of her own company, Silken & co. Productions; a best-selling author of Child’s Play; a member of the International Board of Directors for Right To Play; and a Kid’s Champion for GoodLife Kids Foundation.

DR. KIRSTEN BARNES
Mental Performance Consultant, Canadian Sport Centre Pacific
Mental Focus: Relaxation Techniques for Athletes

Kirsten competed for Canada in rowing in the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. She is a double Olympic Gold Medalist from the 1992 Games and World Champion in 1991 at the Rowing World Championships in both the 4- and 8+.

Kirsten graduated from University of Victoria in 1993 and then completed a PhD in sport psychology at University of Bristol, England. She has provided sport psychology support for England Squash, Rugby Football Union for Women, British Triathlon, Badminton Association of England and worked with several national team individual athletes in a variety of sports such as rowing, cart driving, athletics, swimming and three-day eventing.

Kirsten was one of two sport psychologists at the British Olympic Association Holding Camp in Australia prior to the 2000 Sydney Games. She has also been the sport psychology consultant to the Commonwealth Games Council for England, providing support to the headquarters staff, team management and athletes in preparation for and during the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games.

DR. JANET MCKEOWN
MD CCFD DipSportsMed
Optimal Health for High Performance

Dr. Janet McKeown is a Sports Medicine and Family Physician and Director at the UBC Health Clinic. In addition to her clinical and teaching work, she is the Team Physician for Swimming Canada, the UBC Varsity Swim Team and formerly with the Women's Whitecaps Soccer Team (2006-2010). She is also the Medical Consultant for the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific.

DANA LIS 
Registered Dietitian,Canadian Sport Centre Pacific
Performance Cooking: Fuelling Podium Performances

Dana graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and recently graduated from the prestigious IOC Sport Nutrition diploma program. She has worked with athletes from a wide range of sports and levels, from recreational to high performance. Some of her experience include the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer club, national level athletes and numerous Team BC teams and athletes.
Dana’s involvement in sport dates back to her competitive experiences as a figure skater and as a category 2 road cyclist. You may also find her cooking for NASA astronauts as a side job!

WENDY EPP & NADINE PLOTNIKOFF
Form Physiotherapy
Prevent and Prepare

Wendy Epp and Nadine Plotnikoff are sport physiotherapists and co-workers of Form Physiotherapy in South False Creek. They have been active members of Vancouver’s sport medicine community throughout their 19-year careers, including taking on managerial roles at Cypress Mountain and UBC Thunderbird Arena during our 2010 Olympics.

They have enjoyed significant and ongoing National Team involvement with the Canadian Freestyle Ski and Canadian Wrestling Programs, culminating with their attendance at the Salt Lake City and Beijing Olympics with their teams.

Wendy has a strong following in the running/triathlon communities, both as a competitor and as a therapist. As the developer of the Team BC Functional Screening Program, which has not evolved to National Team ranks, she has made a significant contribution in the areas of injury prevention and program design.
Nadine has a special interest in working with upper extremity injuries. While employed as the UBC Varsity Physiotherapist early in her career, she completed a Masters’ thesis on shoulder and scapular issues and enjoys being challenged with those ‘complex shoulders’.

Wendy and Nadine established Form Physiotherapy, which is located inside a large personal training studio, in 2004. They have enjoyed shifting to a one-on-one style of practice, allowing them to focus on a problem-solving and goal-oriented approach with their clients.

 DR. ANDY VAN NEUTEGEM
Chair, Sport Education, Camosun College Centre for Sport and Exercise Education
Anti-Doping: Drugs and Supplements

Andy Van Neutegem joins us from the Centre for Sport and Exercise Education at Camosun College as Chair of the Sport & Fitness Leadership Degree and the Sport Education Diploma Program. Andy is also the High Performance Director of the National Wheelchair Rugby Team, working towards the London 2012 Paralympic Games. As a National Master Learning Facilitator with the Coaching Association of Canada and Wheelchair Rugby, Andy is a mainstay in coach training and mentoring at the National Coaching Institute-BC and the International Coaching School. In addition to his work with the NCI-BC, Andy also works with a range of NSO's and PSO's through his own sport management & strategic consultancy company, Fortius Sport Consulting Ltd.

Andy has previously worked for Canadian Sport Centre Pacific as High Performance Director and the Performance Readiness Lead. In this role he was able to work with VANOC and the Home Field Advantage Project, implementing sport science and sport medicine provision for Canadian athletes and teams training and competing at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Andy was also seconded to Rowing Canada Aviron while at CSC Pacific, serving as Sport Science/ Sport Medicine Coordinator for the National Team.

Previous to moving to BC, Andy worked and lived in the United Kingdom for 15 years. His sport-related roles included Athletics Director at a local University as well as developing, implementing and teaching a number sport diplomas and degrees in the area of sport development and athlete & coach education. Working in community and high performance sport, Andy also chaired a number of national committees and was responsible for developing an athlete ‘life-skills program’ for the National Sport Scholarship Program (TASS). His final role in the United Kingdom was the Head of the National Anti-Doping Program in which he developed ‘profiling’ drug cheats in sport as well as implemented the UK National Anti-Doping Code with National Sport Organizations.

Andy received his Doctorate from the University of Southampton, England in Career Transitions and Long-Term Athlete Development. His first degree was from the University of Toronto in Physical and Health Education, followed by a Bachelor of Education from University of Toronto. His Master’s Degree is in psychology from the University of Southampton, England.

CHARMINE CROOKS
NGU Consultants
Paying It Forward: Lessons in Athlete Advocacy

 Charmaine was the first Canadian woman to run 800 meters in under two minutes, and is a five-time Olympian and 1984 Olympic Silver Medalist in the 4x400m Relay. In 1996, she had the honour of being Canada’s Flag Bearer at the Opening Ceremonies of the Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games.

Since retiring from sport, Charmaine has been a tireless supporter of various local and global charities and humanitarian projects focusing on youth, women and health related matters, including Big Sisters of the Lower Mainland and “Right to Play” where she is a founding Board Member. Her dedication to sport and giving back has been recognized several times over, including: being elected as a full voting Member of the IOC from 2000-2004; selected as one of the ‘Top 50 Women of Power’ in Canada in 2004; and one of six global sport leaders awarded the prestigious 2006 “IOC Women in Sport Trophy’.

Callum Ng is a lifelong advocate of sport, wellness and passion. As a National Team swimmer, Callum represented Canada at various international events including World Championships and World University Games. Since retirement, Callum has been very active in sport. Serving as the Young Ambassador to the 1st Youth Olympic Games, Singapore, and a Plenary Speaker at the 2011 World Conference on Sport and the Environment, Qatar. Back at home, Callum is both a sport leader and local entrepreneur. Callum is the interim Executive Director of BC Athlete Voice and Founder of GreenGrads.ca.

 TREVOR TURNBULL
T3 CONNECT Sports Marketing
The Power of Social Media for Amateur Athletes  

Trevor Turnbull is a Sports Business Consultant who delivers the tools, training and strategies required to help his clients monetize their online brand. Trevor’s passion for the sports industry began while consulting with the Calgary Stampeders during the 2009 CFL Season, when he spearheaded the development of an award winning social media driven website called Stamps Connect.

Trevor is a lifelong sports fan that has competed at a high level of competitive sports including participation in the CIS University Cup as a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey program. He is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan – College of Commerce program with a major in Marketing.

His company, T3 CONNECT Sports Marketing combines traditional and social media strategies to enhance sales, marketing and fundraising efforts by incorporating online influencers, integrating sponsors and activating fans.

 JOE JACKMAN
Founder & President, remBrand Sports
The Power of Your Personal Brand

Branding Specialist, Business Coach and Mentor to elite and professional athletes, entrepreneurs and business leaders.  Joe finds creative ways for his high profile clients to unlock their potential, to grow and extend their brand beyond the playing field, to the community and the boardroom thus ensuring a lifetime of success. Joe blends the worlds of career management, personal branding, corporate branding and digital media communications to create distinctive positioning solutions that drives new opportunities and financial gain.

Highly regarded for his innovate approach to business, Joe has worked with clients ranging from C-Suite executives, to HR leaders, to small business owners, to celebrity athletes from the NFL, NHL, MLB, CFL and Olympics. Joe is the recognized ‘Builder’ of the NHL’s “Breakaway / Life After Hockey Programs” for former and active players, a ‘revolutionary’ program developed through a 7-year exclusive agreement. He also created a pilot career transition program for the NFLPA.

As a ‘Corporate Athlete’ Joe draws on his Fortune 500 business development, marketing and leadership experiences with global consulting firms.  As a former competitive athlete – NHL Free Agent, N.C.A.A. Division 1 Player, and Rep Elite, Girls Soccer Coach – Joe leverages his elite athlete experiences to relate to, and create solutions for, elite amateur and professional athletes.