Organizers of next year's Ontario Summer Games in London brought out some star power Wednesday to promote the Games, now less than a year away.
"It's where I started as an athlete...through the summer games," said London native and Olympic pole vaulter Alysha Newman, who was at TD Waterhouse Stadium for the news conference.
Newman is just back from the World Track and Field Championships in London, England, where she moved up ten spots to finish 7th in the pole vault.
The Canadian record holder, who competed at the Canada Summer Games when she was younger was joined by other dignitaries, including MPP Diane Vernille, representing the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. She said the provincial government is providing $1 million in advance to London to prepare for the Games, which will be held Aug. 2 to 5, 2018 in various venues.
Some 3,500 athletes will be competing in 21 sports during the event and for the first time since 2010, athletics will be contested.
Newman says the importance of these multi-sport games, is the experience the young athletes will take away as they pursue their goals.
"It's the support in the community behind us that brought us up to where we are now. It just means so much. We have great athletes coming out of London. This is just another stepping stone to build as a community and all come together."
