Prime Minister Stephen Harper congratulates Karolina Wisniewska on winning Bronze at 2010 Paralympic Winter Games

March 15, 2010

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today congratulated Karolina Wisniewska, whose outstanding performance in the women’s slalom standing alpine skiing event was rewarded with a bronze medal at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

“Congratulations to Karolina Wisniewska on her bronze medal-winning performance,” said the Prime Minister.   “She wore the maple leaf with great passion and inspired Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”

Ms. Wisniewska was born in Warsaw, Poland, and now lives in Vancouver.  She won two silver medals at the Nagano 1998 Paralympic Winter Games, and two silver and two bronze medals at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympic Winter Games.  In 2007, she was the first Paralympian to be inducted to the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.  Over the course of her career, Ms. Wisniewska has accumulated World Cup wins in all disciplines, including the overall World Cup title in 2004.

The first Alpine skiing events were held in 1976 at the first Paralympic Winter Games in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.  The sport is open to men and women with a physical disability or visual impairment.  Alpine ski events include downhill, slalom, giant slalom and super giant slalom (super-G).  For more information on this sport, visit the website of the Canadian Paralympic Committee . 

The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games are being held from March 12 to 21.  More than 1,000 athletes and team officials from more than 40 countries are competing in a five-sport, 64-event competition schedule at venues in Vancouver and Whistler.  Canada is represented by more than 50 athletes at the competition.