CANADIAN PROUD TO REPRESENT GRENADA AT THE 2007 PAN AMERICAN GAMES IN RIO Its funny how sport can reduce the difference in people. Get into a swimming pool and regardless of your main language you can still relate to the person in the lane next to you. Five years ago, I would have been hard pressed to tell you the size of Grenada or where in the Caribbean area the country sat. Then sport brought your country into my life. Triathlete Marc Decaul ended up in my community in Canada and was looking to train with my elite triathlon squad. My policy has always been to support any athlete, regardless of their nationality or language and within a few weeks, Marc became a part of the family. Through the support of my host training club, Marc’s skills and motivation to race continued to grow. In 2006, Marc had the opportunity to go to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne Australia, and I prepared him for the race in North America, then watched his results on the internet. Marc came back to Canada in 2006 and continued to work and improve. Each time we would talk, I could see his passion for Grenada and his desire to pass on his knowledge to the Island’s children. I can still remember the cafeteria I was sitting in at McMaster University, when Marc and I started to talk about me going to Grenada to run a clinic and to help raise triathlon’s awareness in the country. Within a few weeks, a January 2007 date had been set and I was on my way to Grenada. After two busy days of clinics, we ended the weekend with a world-class evening supper at one of the local restaurants. The Grenada Triathlon Association did an incredible job on the evening supper and I had a chance to meet many of the Island’s most dedicated Olympic and Government Sport officials. Marc followed me back to North America for more hard training over the winter, and by spring he was hoping to make the 2007 Pan American Games Team in Rio Brazil. After Marc’s successful team selection, I had the honour of being selected as an official Grenada Coach for the games this past July. I know the importance of a country’s uniform and flag, and I was extremely proud to march next to Marc Decaul and his Grenada team-mates and team-officials into the 90 000 person opening ceremonies. The team officials worked tirelessly on our behalf to make sure we had the resources that we needed and it was a true pleasure and honour to be able to donate my time and energy to the beautiful people and country of Grenada. While Canada may seem big to Grenada, we are positioned next to the United States of America, so we know how it feels to be a much smaller organization next to larger countries with more resources. I felt a great kinship with the other Grenada coaches, and proudly wore my team uniform the entire time I was at the athlete’s village and on the plane back to Canada. I still have my red-green and yellow good luck arm bracelet on as I write this letter. I have been to your country. I have eaten at your great restaurants and felt the incredible hospitality that is so much a part of your culture. It is sport that has provided me that opportunity to come to know your culture on a much deeper level. When Marc Decaul’s days as an elite athlete are over, I am sure that he and the other great athletes from your nation, will want to return home and give back to the next generation of kids who need a chance to see the world and better understand the world through sport. I want to thank the Decaul family, Triathlon Grenada and it’s president Clare Morrall, the Grenada Olympic Association and the many sport volunteers in the country that work tirelessly on behalf of a noble cause. It has been a pleasure to be associated with your country and its many fine sportsmen and women. Sincerely Barrie Shepley Former Canadian Olympic Coach Proud Grenada Coach 2007 Pan American Games