Krempien named flag bearer for Canada
(Taken from the August 04, 2007 St. Albert Gazette)
By Jeff Hansen
Staff Writer		    

The flag bearer for the Canadian team at the ParaPanAmerican Games in Brazil is overwhelmed by the prestigious position. Jennifer Krempien

"It’s a huge honour," said St. Albert athlete Jen Krempien.

"I’m humbled to be the flag bearer for Canada."

The 16-year veteran of the national women’s wheelchair basketball team will lead the Canadian delegation of 92 athletes into the Aug. 12 opening ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro. They will be accompanied by 51 coaches, medical staff and support team members.

"It’s great to represent my team and our accomplishments and our sport, as well as the accomplishments of the men’s wheelchair basketball team," said Krempien, "But to represent the whole delegation and all the athletes, and just to represent all of their training and hard work and dedication and athleticism, it’s quite an honour."

Athletes were asked by the Canadian Paralympic Committee to nominate someone from their sport to carry the Canadian flag in Rio.

"When I got the phone call a couple of days ago I was just stunned. It was a total surprise," said the Paul Kane High School alumnus.

"I just hope I don’t trip."

Krempien, 32, has been flushed with national pride during the opening ceremonies of several major international events in her decorated career, including four Paralympic Games and four Gold Cup world championships.

"It’s all the excitement and that anticipation to start the games that really gets you going," said the all-star guard at the 1998 and 2002 Gold Cups.

"I know for me, once you walk in and you see your flag go into the stadium, I still get shivers going up my spine."

The ParaPanAmerican Games is the first official Americas’ Regional Championship sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee. It also represents the first time that the ParaPanAmerican Games will take place in the same city and utilize the same venues as the Pan American Games.

"I don’t really know what to expect. I’m sort of anticipating a smaller version of the Paralympic Games," said the MVP award winner at the Friendship Games Osaka Cup in Japan in February.

"It will be interesting. I hope Rio embraces the games and comes out and supports the athletes."

About 1,300 athletes from 26 countries are expected to participate.

Canada is going for medals in eight of the 10 sports at the elite competition for athletes with a physical disability.

The ParaPanAmerican Games are also a direct qualifier for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing for all the team sports being contested in Rio.

Four teams out of six in women’s wheelchair basketball will advance to Beijing.

"Our goal is to qualify but it’s not going to be a big challenge for us," Krempien said. "It’s really us and the U.S. and then the rest of the four teams."

Brazil and Mexico are also in the mix. El Salvador and Argentina are new to the sport.

"For us it’s going to be a balancing act for performance and playing our game against the better teams — the U.S. and Mexico — and then really helping to develop those other counties by playing them."

In the world rankings Canada, the United States (2004 Paralympic champions) and Germany are one-two-three.

Dating back to 1992, when Krempien made the national team as a product of the Alberta Northern Lights Junior Program, Canada has been victorious in four straight Gold Cups (1994 in England, 1998 in Australia, 2002 in Japan and 2006 in Amsterdam).

After three consecutive Paralympic gold medals (1992 in Spain, 1996 in Atlanta and 2000 in Australia) with Krempien in the line-up, Canada settled for a disappointing bronze in 2004 in Athens.

"I can’t wait for Beijing. I wouldn’t say it’s heavy on my mind but it’s certainly ever present. Every decision I make right now relates to how it’s going to affect my performance in Beijing," said Krempien, who plays club hoops for the Edmonton Inferno, the four-time defending Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League champions.

Krempien lives in Richmond and works as a clinical dietitian at the B.C. Children’s Hospital. She is also finishing her masters of science in human nutrition at the University of British Columbia, where she is studying the nutritional needs of athletes with spinal cord injuries for her thesis project.

Krempien suffered a spinal cord injury at the age of five. Three years later she started playing wheelchair basketball.

Peers named MVP

Krempien’s teammate, Danielle Peers, was awarded the inaugural Canadian Basketball Outstanding Athlete award at the recent Canada Basketball Hall of Fame Sports Awards Banquet.

Peers, 29, played her high school basketball at Paul Kane. In college, the Edmonton resident was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. It was related to knee problems Peers suffered throughout her life, which didn’t allow her to properly build muscle in her legs. Having MS meant she had to use crutches and could only continue to play basketball in a wheelchair.

The high-scoring Team Canada centre was named MVP at last year’s Gold Cup.

She has also played in an all-men’s wheelchair league in Europe, where she earned MVP honours.

Peers will miss the ParaPanAmerican Games because of health problems restricting her breathing.

FREE THROWS: The Canadian women’s wheelchair team is among eight countries and club teams participating in the Spitfire Challenge this weekend at Etobicoke, Ont.

Team Canada is coming off a week-long training camp in Oshawa, with games against Germany, the Netherlands and the Espoir national development team.

The Canadian delegation for Rio leaves Tuesday.
jhansen@stablert.greatwest.ca

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