CANADIAN HEROES
Carol Anne Letheren

TORONTO, February 1, 2002 - The Canadian Olympic Association (COA) today announced the creation of the Carol Anne Letheren Leadership and Sport Scholarship to support the pursuit of excellence by young Canadian women who have demonstrated athletic talent, outstanding academic performance, leadership qualities and are entering college or university.

The scholarship was created in memory of Carol Anne Letheren (1942-2001), who passed away one year ago today. As Chief Executive Officer of the COA and member for Canada of the International Olympic Committee, Carol Anne was a trailblazer for women in sport. The new scholarship is for young Canadian women who reflect Carol Anne's vision of sport and academic capabilities, and who subscribe to the Canadian Olympic values she lived and advocated: excellence, leadership, respect, human development, fun, fairness and peace.

The scholarship is a national, $1,500-per-year, three-year university or college scholarship. It is supported by the COA and the Carol Anne Letheren Foundation.

"On behalf of her family I want to thank the COA and her friends at the foundation for establishing and funding this scholarship in her name; she felt very strongly about the value of education," says her son Dan Letheren. "I watched my Mom struggle as she took her place in a man's world. But she was strong and she was a pioneer. Her tenacity in meeting and overcoming many of the challenges she faced as a young woman in sport marketing and as a volunteer in judging and sport administration probably resulted in the challenges being a bit less daunting for some women today."

"Carol Anne played an important role in the advancement of women and ethics in sport in Canada and internationally," said Patricia Murray, COA vice president and chair of its education committee. "The scholarship created in her memory will help further her goal of helping talented young women to pursue their quest for excellence in academics and sport."