The opening ceremonies for the Paralympic Games in Paris are set for Wednesday afternoon (1:30 EST) and Canadian athletes have a lot more to play for this year.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee has announced a new performance recognition program which will provide financial rewards for medals won at the Paralympic Games.
The new “Paralympic Performance Recognition” program will reward Paralympians $20,000 for winning a gold medal, $15,000 for a silver medal, and $10,000 for bronze, which is in line to what Olympic athletes get.
Similar initiatives for Paralympic athletes already exist in other countries -such as France, the United States and Australia- and a program for Canada’s Olympians has been in place since 2006.
The program will be active for the Games in Paris and each edition thereafter.
(Written by: Kennedy Freeman)
