“On behalf of Canadian national team athletes, we applaud the Government of Canada’s commitment to sport in the 2015 federal budget,” said Josh Vander Vies, President of AthletesCAN and London 2012 Paralympic bronze medalist in Boccia.

“We are particularly interested in the innovative proposal announced that will match up to twenty million dollars in private contributions over four years to one of the most underfunded groups in Canadian sport – up and coming high performance athletes. Supporting athletes and their families, early in their athletic careers is critical to a thriving sport system,” said Vander Vies.

“Our dedicated national team athlete leaders are honoured to have worn the maple leaf while competing across the world. We believe that sport is an integral part of Canadian culture, and we look forward to consulting with the Government of Canada to ensure that this funding is used effectively.”

AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is the only fully independent and most inclusive athlete organization in the country and the first organization of its kind in the world.  As the collective voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture.

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We had a great tournament in Maringá, Brazil.  The national association, ANDE, invited some Canadians to come and compete in their nationals, learn from each other and push both of our programs forward.  Marco and I were honoured to do just that over the past few days.

We competed in singles and doubles against great Brazilian athletes we have seen before at the Americas’ Cups, Parapanamerican Games, World Championships and Paralympic Games.  What was even better was to meet with new athletes, athletes we had met before, competition organizers, referees and politicians.  ANDE had the excellent idea to provide us with translators while we were here, so we could truly meet everyone – thank you to Melanie and Felipe who were excellent!

With our great social and cultural experience here and the political issues swirling around events like Sochi 2014, Rio 2014 and 2016, I am becoming convinced that athletes are the real diplomats.

My Results

Singles: 8th | Doubles: Silver

In the singles event, I won my two pool games, advanced to the round of 16 and won.  Unfortunately for me, the draw put me with world #1 Eliseu Dos Santos in the round of 8.  The match started off solidly with me scoring a hard fought 1 point in the first end. It ended solidly too, with me keeping him to a single point against me in the last end.  But, Eliseu showed why he is world #1 in the 2nd and third ends, scoring 4 and 2 points respectively – beating me 7 – 1.  I was knocked out, but happy that Marco beat world #2 Dirceu Pinto on the court beside me 3 – 2 and it was great to watch him win bronze on Saturday morning.

Doubles was a sudden death elimination format.  While we didn’t play perfectly, Marco and I were in control for the entire tournament, which we loved.  In the final against a Sao Paulo team led by Eliseu Dos Santos, we were outplayed and came up short by one point.  Elite sport is not just about, winning, setting goals and achieving them though.  Our system and playing style is ramping up and we can’t wait to test it again soon.

A gruelling week is now topped off with 36 hours of travel back to Canada.  I can’t wait to get home and see Dalia, Karolis and Olivia.

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VANCOUVER, September 11, 2013 – London 2012 Paralympic bronze medalist in boccia BC4 mixed pairs and UBC Law student, Josh Vander Vies, hosted an innovative fundraising event on August 29 – the Boccia Throwdown.  So far, it has raised $7,360 in much-needed funds for his Canadian Boccia Team, while rallying the community to support them as they take on the world.

“Being an elite athlete is expensive,” said Vander Vies, “and while many of our costs are covered by our National Sport Organization (NSO), our team still needs to find more than $22,000 from our own pockets this year to compete for Canada.  Along with our own living and training expenses, that means we have to rely on our friends, families and communities to keep roofs over our heads and healthy food on our tables.  It felt great to know I had amazing people behind me when I was on the Paralympic courts in London, and I was proud to support my teammates through this fun event, building an even stronger foundation for our future”.

The money raised will also fuel competitions, training opportunities, equipment, sport science and other needs of the Canadian team as they head towards Rio 2016.  Champions in Sport, a Vancouver-based foundation for athletes and NSOs, powered the logistics of the Boccia Throwdown.  Moksha Yoga East Vancouver, Hootsuite, Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, Anthony Seamen Ltd., Charity Express, Benefic, Peer Giving Solutions and Investors Group sent teams to battle each other at Creekside Community Centre in indoor boccia action, raising funds for Canada’s best boccia players.

“Investors Group considers it an honour to support Canada’s elite athletes like Josh Vander Vies through our Investors Group Bursary program,” said Sharon Moskalyk, Vice President, Financial Services.  “When the opportunity presented itself to be a part of a community fundraiser like the Boccia Throwdown for one of our bursary recipients, we were thrilled to participate.  Challenging the other team is great fun when you have Josh as your partner and coach!”

Boccia is a precision sport, similar to lawn bowling, curling and chess, played indoors in over 50 countries and is one of the three Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart.  It is one of the most inclusive sports that exist: an elegant game that combines strategy and skill with physical precision, not necessarily strength.

The Boccia Throwdown also enjoyed significant online donations from fans that could not attend or simply spectated.  Maria Senajova, Realtor at RE/MAX Crest Realty Westside said, ”when I saw Canada’s top boccia players in action and the precise skill it takes to be the best in the world, I felt pride knowing they live in my community and with our support they go beyond their limits and beyond our own. I’ve gained a new appreciation for our Canadian elite athletes; supporting them is such an honour.  I am already looking forward to the next Throwdown”.

Online donations will remain open at https://chimp.net/groups/boccia-throwdown until September 19 at 1pm when Vander Vies will announce the total funds raised at a small ceremony at Suite 1250 – 1500 West Georgia Street; the media is invited and encouraged to attend.

PHOTOS – click link for high definition.  Please credit: “Photo: Champions in Sport”

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You can team-up with the Canadian Boccia Team three ways:

1. Share this blog post with your social media networks.
2. Form a team of up to 6 players and party with us on August 29 from 5-7pm at 1 Athletes Way Vancouver.  Register here.
3. Donate to one of the teams below and help them chase top fundraiser glory, or to the event itself.  Keep scrolling for details.

Apparently boccia team names allow for some serious creativity.  We on the national team thought we had all of the boccia ball puns locked down and figured out!  Think again.  If you like one of these team names, or the people and businesses powering them, click and donate online – “Chimp them” – and get an online tax receipt automatically.

Each team has to raise $500 to compete.  Eternal glory is up for grabs to the winner of the indoor boccia tournament, and the top fundraiser.  Here are the competitors in order of entry.

Mission Imbocceball

Canadian Sport Institute Pacific

Foxy Boccia Dolls and Balls

HootSuite

Total Debocciery

Anthony-Seaman Ltd. – Sawmill Consulting Engineers

FunBoys

HootSuite

Todd and the Hot Toddies

Moksha Yoga East Vancouver

Love is a Boccia Field

Access Driver Rehab Specialists

Wham Bam Thank You Ham

Benevoland

Drunken Deboccery

Benevoland: Peer Giving, Charity Express, and Benefic

Can’t decide which team gets your donation?

Click this photo of members of the Canadian Boccia Team on the podium at the 2011 Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico – one of our best tournaments ever – to donate to the event itself. We want even more amazing medal moments like these.

The post 8 Teams Confirmed So Far for Boccia Throwdown! appeared first on Josh Vander Vies.

@WillCromack just training days until Sunday, but looking strong.

— Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) July 30, 2013

Good luck this weekend! “@joshvandervies: The French Canadian Stare: http://t.co/vmzEVDlr0e @bc4boccia @philguay @CDNParalympics @qcracing”

— Philippe Guay (@philguay) August 2, 2013

La coupe des Amériques 2013 est officiellement ouverte!!! http://t.co/YVyuCeeNTv #Boccia #AmericasCup2013 @ccpsaboccia @SportcomQuebec — César Nicolaï (@16art333) August 4, 2013

We face Colombia, USA and Argentina today in Americas Cup #boccia pairs action. Feeling great; competition will be fierce. — Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 4, 2013

2 wins (COL, USA) and 1 heartbreaking loss (ARG) today at the #boccia Americas Cup in #Kansas – 3 games tomorrow: still chasing #gold — Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 5, 2013

Won vs Columbia & USA but lost 2 Argentina. We do have a very favourable +13 pts differential so it’s looking good 4 tomorrow — Marco Dispaltro (@bc4boccia) August 5, 2013

Thanks @ericawiebe that is awesome to know!!

— Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 5, 2013

We won bronze yesterday at #boccia Americas Cup after some less than consistent play. Congrats to ARG for silver and BRA for gold.

— Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 6, 2013

@joshvandervies congrats on bronze. You’ll get ahead of the Brazilians in front of their fans in 3 years! — Philippe Guay (@philguay) August 7, 2013

Individual play starts today at the #boccia Americas Cup – we will learn our pools shortly. We CDNs power on. — Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 6, 2013

One more #boccia game down, one more win. Missing Olivia – on skype she is a little Joshueena! — Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 7, 2013

@joshvandervies of course he’s probably tweeting that he faces Josh Vander Vies, a skilled Canadian. Good luck! — Danny O’Shea (@DannyJOShea) August 8, 2013

Solid @adamkreek – just what I needed as I wait to warm up for #boccia Americas Cup quarterfinals. — Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 8, 2013

Was an epic battle, but BRA won in overtime with his last ball. Sad about result; proud of how I played. — Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 8, 2013

After a tough 1/4 loss I finish 5th at #boccia Americas Cup. Now cheering @bc4boccia and Caroline on in semis.

— Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 8, 2013

@bc4boccia Beautiful.

— Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 9, 2013

Waiting to board our flight in Kansas City – can’t wait to be home, after a long and relatively successful #boccia Americas Cup.

— Josh Vander Vies (@joshvandervies) August 9, 2013

Follow me on Twitter here.

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Dalia and her doola, an amazing friend of ours, thought otherwise. They took a walk around downtown Vancouver to get things going.  Around 3 hours (not days!) later, pre-labour started and Dalia and Olivia were ready to go.

Karolis and I were there for everything.  We experienced something so scary and awesome and special that words can’t do it justice.  Dalia was incredible.  It is amazing how quickly her maternity suite screeched to a blissful calm and quiet with such happiness once Olivia arrived.

Everyone’s faces in the pictures say the rest:

The post How Our Daughter Olivia Was Born appeared first on Josh Vander Vies.

The poster sums it up nicely. Play indoor boccia.  Wrestle your boss. Win a ham. Have a blast. Support a great cause.

Boccia is one of the most inclusive sports that exist – any ability level can play – and it is fantastic team building and recreation.  On August 29, 2013 at 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver we are inviting teams to come and have a fun evening while supporting our national team.  There will be drinks, boccia, sumo suits, and so on, at the community centre gym in the Olympic Village.

A $500 donation is the minimum per team.   To register go to http://bit.ly/b-throwdown – spots are limited.

Can’t make the event?  Support our Canadian boccia team by donating whatever you can here: http://chim.pn/11LOOcs

Next time you see one of us on a podium, know that you helped put us there.

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UBC law student Josh Vander Vies awarded 2013 Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary

OTTAWA, June 27, 2013 – AthletesCAN and Investors Group are pleased to announce that Boccia national team member Josh Vander Vies has been awarded a $5,000 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund bursary.

In keeping with their commitment to amateur sport in Canada, Investors Group established a bursary fund for Canada’s top high performance athletes. A national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians, Investors Group annually awards twenty $5,000 bursaries to assist Canada’s elite amateur athletes with the costs of training and competition. Selection criteria includes: athletic achievement, financial need and community involvement. Since its inception in 2000, the Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund has provided more than $1,300,000 to Canadian athletes. AthletesCAN administers the bursary on behalf of Investors Group.

“Investors Group considers it an honour to help support our nation’s elite athletes with these bursaries,” says Richard Irish, Vice-President, Community Affairs and Marketing Support for Investors Group. “Athletes at this level are constantly juggling the demands of work and school with training and competition. For 13 years now, we have been pleased to provide Canada’s athletes with bursaries totaling over $1 million to make those demands easier to manage.”

“This bursary recognizes the dedication and excellence Josh exhibits on the field of play and as a leader within his community,” says AthletesCAN Executive Director Jasmine Northcott. “AthletesCAN values Investors Group’s ongoing support of Canada’s national team athletes, and are excited to see this bursary assist Josh in achieving his dreams.”

Josh’s recent sport accomplishments include a bronze medal at the 2012 London Paralympic Games in mixed pairs and a bronze at the Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games in the mixed individual event.

“For years I have admired Investor’s Group’s commitment to Canadian sport and have looked up to the athletes who have won this prestigious award,” says Josh. “Mixing community impact with athletic accomplishment has been a highlight of my career; I am humbled to be recognized for it. The Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund will give me the ability to focus more on my training and studies and less on balancing my budget,” he adds. “This is a huge advantage for me on the court as I tighten my game and seek out competition and training opportunities that would not otherwise be financially viable.”

2013 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary Recipients:

Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, ON) – Hockey
Breanne Dodd (Surrey, BC) – Water Ski
Alexandra Duckworth (Kingsburg, NS) – Halfpipe Snowboarding
Meagan Duhamel (Lively, ON) – Figure Skating
David Eng (Montreal, QC) – Wheelchair Basketball
Christine Girard (White Rock, BC) – Weightlifting
Jessica Groeneveld (Innisfail, AB) – Kayak Slalom
Constantine Kudaba (Port Coquitlam, BC) – Water Polo
Karina LeBlanc (Maple Ridge, BC) – Soccer
Jessica Mair (Edmonton, AB) – Curling
Lucas Makowsky (Regina, SK) – Speed Skating
Jenna Martin (Bridgewater, NS) – Athletics
Paul Poirier (Unionville, ON) – Figure Skating
Anjelika Reznik (Vaughan, ON) – Rhythmic Gymnastics
Brittany Schussler (Winnipeg, MB) – Speed Skating
Cody Sorensen (Ottawa, ON) – Bobsleigh
Karine Thomas (Gatineau, QC) – Synchronized Swimming
Donna Vakalis (Toronto, ON) – Modern Pentathlon
Josh Vander Vies (Sarnia, ON) – Boccia
Dory Yeats (Montreal, QC) – Wrestling

For more information, please contact: Ashley LaBrie

Director, Athlete Relations & Strategic Partnerships AthletesCAN (613) 526-4025 x224 alabrie@athletescan.com www.athletescan.com

Investors Group, founded in 1926, is a national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians through a network of over 4,600 Consultants located throughout Canada. In addition to an exclusive family of mutual funds and other investment vehicles, Investors Group offers a wide range of insurance, securities, mortgage and other financial services.

As the voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture.

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I usually respond by telling them that it was awesome.  There were people from every part of the world there, wearing every colour imaginable. They had an energy that you could actually feel. You saw expressions and body language, and knew that virtually everyone there meant business. They better have. We were all about to try and be the best in the world at something.

I also tell people that it was a taste of utopia, or socialism that works.  No one is using currency in the Village, all meals are free and there was a 24-hour cafeteria.  To get to any sport venue, hop on any bus at a depot just outside the Village. Dedicated London lanes were yours. Flash your accreditation badge and you had the best seats in the house at virtually any sport. Even the vending machines are not operated by coins, but unlimited swipe cards. My Lithuanian wife Dalia and I noticed that the currency-free, pseudo-socialism of the Village works because it has an army of volunteers, National Paralympic Committees and corporate sponsors behind it.

What I don’t always tell people is that I barely noticed any of that until afterwards. When I was actually in the Village, I was too terrified to do much other than think about my game plan, train, eat correctly and sleep.  The atmosphere was tense.

Feeling fear thunder through me, and continue on to win a Paralympic medal has made me reflect on the nature of fear.  The London Paralympics was certainly not the first or last time that I would be afraid, but the energy I was expending was so focused, that I think the experience was valuable.

I wanted so badly to do well.  And, I knew that if things did not go as planned, all the hours of work, all the things I gave up to be there, everything I had invested would lead to nothing.

Have you ever felt that fear?

I had felt it before, at the 2007 World Cup when I was trying to qualify for the Beijing Paralympics.  Fear was coursing through me.  In our game of millimetres, by the end of that competition, we came one point short from finishing in the top 8. Because of ranking points, I did not make the cut for Beijing.  But, I went to China as a spectator anyways and cheered my teammates on. I watched my competitors and learned.

I think what I learned the most, was about fear.  In the 4 years after Beijing, we eventually qualified for London 2012, but I was always afraid.  I was petrified on the court, and at training sometimes, as the overwhelming challenge of the world’s top athletes loomed.

So we became good friends fear and I.  I controlled it with breathing and intentioned thinking: I know I can beat the top athletes in the world because I have the innovative strategy to do it, and I have put in the training hours.

But what if they still beat me?

I passed a huge winged statue each day outside the dining hall, which I later learned was made by London artist Nicola Godden.  At first I only saw the visual. A sad and beautiful winged figure. I still remember reading the inscription on its base for the first time, as my stomach was in knots for the pinnacle of tournaments to come:

“My audacity was my joy not my disaster,
I reached a glory higher than Olympus,
My fall was worth the flight.”

I realized it was Icarus.  When given wings to escape the island of Crete in Greek mythology by his father Daedalus, Icarus was told not to fly too close to the sun.  Overwhelmed by the thrill of soaring, he of course flew too high. The sun melted the wings’ wax, and Icarus drowned in the sea.

The statue and its words gave me final permission to fail.  Even if I did not win a Paralympic medal, I would go out in a blaze of trying something hard. That in itself would be worth it.

I ended up winning bronze with my doubles partner Marco, but I did not play as great as I did because I overcame fear.  I took the sheer terror of crashing into the sea those days in London last September – on the boccia courts in front of sold out crowds, and in the dining hall – and hung out with it.

I didn’t conquer it.

The post How to Overcome Fear appeared first on Josh Vander Vies.

I remember starting to see all of the hipster tinged pictures showing up in my Twitter and Facebook feeds many months ago.  It was likely around the time that Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion, that I realized what those sepia filtered photos were.  Naturally, I decided to get an account and create my own.

I made the decision sitting in the Air Canada London Lounge at Heathrow Airport.  It was after a week of speaking to elementary schools in East London, around where the Olympics and Paralympics would soon take place.  My thoughts were swirling, as I was glowing in the excitement of all those students, and gearing up to compete myself.

So, I photographed the coffee and water I was drinking, framed the table and background at an angle and applied the glorious filter, before posting to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  Drafting the caption was part of the thrill:

“My last European coffee for a while”

It was also Canada Day.  So, I reflected on Britain’s role as a former Empire, and Canada’s journey away from associating itself as a colony – luckily, and with lots of help from Britain’s enemy, France and their satellite people, Quebec.  The snapshot oozes nostalgia for me.  I am not afraid to embrace the full power of the Nickelback Instagram parody (Google it if you have not seen it yet).

Today, I researched what the Air Canada lounge is called at Heathrow, and learned that it will be closing soon.  I took the photo from where the arrow is pointing in the photo.  The nostalgia meter for this very first Instagram photo I took was cranked up even more.

It captured my anxiety about putting my years of boccia training to the test.  It reminds me of the Canada Day I spent in the British Empire’s former capital and how I felt glad to be Canadian.  It celebrates the rich and bold quality of coffee available seemingly everywhere in Europe, and expresses my anguish at having to return to a land where most coffee is barren and largely not delicious.

I am not sure if I can produce another Instagram picture with as much raw meaning.  I hope you will click the main photo above and follow me on Instagram as I try.

What is your favourite Instagram photo?

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