Call for nominations

I am pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations of blind and/or partially sighted athletes for the 2008/09 T-Base Athletic Sponsorship program. This annual sponsorship is awarded to a blind or partially sighted individual who actively participates in a competitive sport, and exhibits true dedication and commitment in his/her field.

The awarded recipient of the sponsorship receives a variety of accessible communication materials such as braille business cards and alternate format speaking notes, which assist athletes in both accessing and delivering information accessibly. I feel as though it is the very least we can do to support these athletes with the materials they need and the recognition they truly deserve.

We have been amazed with the number of impressive nominations received over the years, and have had great difficulty in selecting only one annual recipient! Jason Dunkerley was awarded this year’s sponsorship as a blind runner who has competed at both the 2000 and 2004 Paralympic Games. He is the current Canadian record-holder for both the 800m and 1500m track events, and hopes to further improve his times at the upcoming Games in Beijing, China this September. Deaf-blind speed skater Kevin Frost received the previous year’s award, and continues to lobby for speed skating to be added as an event at the Paralympics. Most recently, he was ranked 8th in the world in the able-bodied field for long track, and 4th in Ontario for short track.

We are so very proud of our past recipients, and look forward to reviewing this year’s nominations. If you or someone you know would like to submit a nomination for the 2008/09 program, please let me know by submitting a comment, or sending a private email to info@tbase.com for eligibility and submission details. Good luck!