Issue 4 / The Pan Am and Parapan Pan Am Games Are Coming to Canada!

by Geeta Wahab

The Pan Am and Parapan Pan Am Games Are Coming to Canada!

Jul 04, 2015

In exactly a week, Toronto and parts of Southern Ontario will be welcoming the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Game athletes, supporters and sports enthusiasts from around the world.

People from around the world are flocking to Toronto to watch athletes compete in the 17^th Pan American Games and the 5^th Parapan American Games. Athletes from 41 countries from the Americas will be taking part in this year's event. The Pan Am torch relay kicked off on May 30th and will have touched down in over 130 communities before finding its way to the opening ceremonies in Toronto on July 10.

For the first time ever, the Parapan Am games will host a torch relay. The five-day relay, from August 3 to 7, will travel along the Lake Ontario waterfront. Unique to this relay, two torches will be lit, one starting in Ottawa, the nation’s capital, and the other in Niagara Falls. Carried by over 250 torchbearers, the torches will meet back in Toronto for the opening ceremonies of the Parapan Am games on August 7.

The Pan Am Torch Relay as it makes its way through Montreal, Canada

The Pan Am Games will take place from July 10 to 26 and will feature 49 sporting events including traditional events like archery, the pentathlon, fencing, equestrian, swimming, boxing and wrestling along with highly anticipated sports like kayak/canoe sprints, water polo, basketball, soccer, beach volleyball, field hockey and tennis. More modern sports like BMX, waterski/wakeboarding, modern pentathlon, roller speed skating are also taking place.

The Parapan Am games will have 16 sporting events, where spectators can watch some of the most inspirational athletes beat the odds in intense races and sports such as wheelchair rugby, wheelchair tennis, football, cycling, archery, powerlifting, judo, goalball and boccia.

Pan Am countdown party in Toronto courtesy of www.thestar.ca

The games have also introduced countless opportunities for youth and a vivacious LGBT initiative. Athletes will be able to enjoy other events in the city and Toronto’s lifestyle and hospitality, before settling in at the Athlete's Village in the downtown core. To ensure that as many people as possible were involved in this year's Pan Am event, the Pan Am Path Arts Relay was also introduced. From May 16 to August 15, the Pan Am Path is coming alive with a city-wide relay of art installations and events. Each week, the festival travels across Toronto celebrating diversity, nature and arts.

To keep you on track, the Friends of Pan Am Path created an app that will pin point where you are on the path, connect you with local music via a radio station, and then show you nearby local businesses and attractions. And if you’re lucky, you’ll snap a pic with Pachi, the Pan Am porcupine mascot. Tickets are available at toronto2015.org. See you at the games!

^{Medals and relay images courtesy of www.Toronto2015.org.}

Geeta Wahab

Author

Cultivating a life she loves, Geeta (@geets.suites) is chasing all her passions, including her love for home décor. As a brand new home owner, her current journey has launched her further into that world - check out her Instagram @geets.suites for tidbits of her story and other decorating pieces. A...