Announcing Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Gold Coast 2018 Games: Claire Carver-Dias!

Daughter of Welsh immigrants comes full circle in leading Canada’s Team in 2018

October 6, 2016, Ottawa – Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) congratulates Claire Carver-Dias on her selection as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

An accomplished author, management consultant, businesswoman and coach, Carver-Dias is a also a very successful athlete, holding two Commonwealth gold medals, Olympic bronze, double gold at the Pan Am Games and double bronze at the World Championships. A PhD in English, she currently serves as a trusted advisor to senior executives and their teams and delivers innovative team and communication development programming to their teams.

“The Commonwealth Games are of particular importance to my story,” says Carver-Dias. “The child of Welsh immigrants, I grew up watching the Games with my family, and I developed a deep appreciation for the Commonwealth in general. In fact, after winning an Olympic medal, I delayed my retirement for two years so that I could compete at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, to the great satisfaction of my parents and extended family, not to mention that the double gold was a satisfying way to close my long athletic career.”

While Great Britain competes as one entity at the Olympic Games, the member nations of the United Kingdom (such as Wales) compete as individual countries at the Commonwealth Games. For citizens of these particular countries, the Commonwealth Games take on special importance, due to their respective nations being represented at the Games.

In addition to her career as an athlete, Carver-Dias dedicated several years to coaching in her sport of synchronized swimming. She is also the recipient of several awards and honours, such as the University of Toronto @ Mississauga’s “Top 40 Graduates”, Finalist for 2002 Athlete of the Year, Member of the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame, the Synchro Quebec Sports Hall of Fame and more.

“I have known Claire for a long time, and was thrilled to hear that she was selected as Chef de Mission,” said the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. “She is a wonderful choice for this role, and will bring to it passion, professionalism and focus. Claire will lead Team Canada to the Gold Coast 2018 Games with distinction. She will serve the athletes extremely well and make all of Canada proud. I wish her and all of Team Canada the very best as they prepare to make history in 2018.”

“Congratulations to Claire on her selection as Team Canada’s 2018 Chef de Mission”, said Richard Powers, President of Commonwealth Games Canada. “With her background as a Commonwealth Champion, Coach and Canadian sport leader, she is perfectly suited to lead our Team at the Gold Coast Games. We thank her for this significant commitment to our organization, and we look forward to working closely with her as we prepare our country’s team for 2018.”

With 71 participating countries and over 4000 athletes taking part in the Commonwealth Games, these Games offer a valuable opportunity for all Canadian athletes, as an integral step on the path to Olympic and Paralympic success. The 2018 Games will take place April 4th to 15^th in Gold Coast, Australia, with 6,600 athletes and team officials taking part. The eleven-day sporting and cultural event will feature 18 sports and 7 para-sports as part of its programme.