TO 2015 makes a splash with Horn-Miller as assistant Chef de Mission
On Tuesday, Olympian Waneek Horn-Miller was announced as one of two Assistant Chefs de Mission for Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.
Horn-Miller, a Sydney 2000 women’s water polo player for Team Canada, will be joined in the role by four-time Pan Am Games racquetball player Josée Grand’Maître, completing the team of athlete mentors led by three-time Olympic medallist and Chef de Mission for Toronto 2015, Curt Harnett.
Waneek Horn-Miller (left) and Josée Grand’Maître named Toronto 2015 Assistant Chefs de Mission.
“I am honoured to have been chosen and to help mentor and steer our team of Canadian athletes to success during the Toronto 2015 Games,” Horn-Miller said in a Canadian Olympic Committee statement prior to her public unveiling. “Having been mentored by them myself, I know how important the role of the Chef and Assistant Chef is, so this is a position I take very seriously.”
Horn-Miller and Team Canada celebrate their Pan Am Gold at Winnipeg 1999.
At the Olympic Games in 2000, Horn-Miller co-captained Canada and the team got off to a strong start earning draws against powerful Russia and United States, before soundly thumping Kazakhstan 10-3. However, losses to Netherlands and eventual gold medallist and host country Australia kept Canada out of medal possibility. The United States won silver and Russia the bronze. With Horn-Miller as one of its leaders, Canada showed it could compete with podium countries and the following year won a World Championship bronze medal.
Prior to Sydney, Horn-Miller was a member of the women’s water polo team that won Pan Am Games gold the last time Canada hosted these Games in Winnipeg in 1999.
Three-time Olympic medallist Curt Harnett will be TO 2015 Chef de Mission. Photo: David Jackson
Grand’Maître has represented Canada internationally more than any other racquetball player and is excited for the country’s athletes “to show (Pan Am) what Canadians are made of” at Toronto 2015.
Harnett praised the additions to his team saying “Both of these athletes have extensive experience in the Games environment and they will be great assets to help achieve our overall goals and objectives at these Games.”
One of those objectives is to finish on the podium as often as possible when Toronto 2015 takes off from July 10 to 26.
