Vancouver Board of Trade Sponsors Local Wheelchair Rugby Player

"I was really excited when I heard that The Vancouver Board of Trade had decided to sponsor me. Knowing that I have a great local organization supporting my efforts to make the Canadian National team is a big boost," stated 23-year-old wheelchair rugby athlete Byron Green.

A full-time student in civil and environmental engineering at the University of British Columbia, Byron's dreams of competing at the world level are now just a little bit more within his reach, thanks to his sponsorship by The Vancouver Board of Trade.

"A large part of the funds will go to paying for trips to tournaments, which are the only times we get to play competitively. A portion of the funds will also go to purchasing a new rugby wheelchair," Byron indicated.

Having recently visited The Vancouver Board of Trade's office and attended several of the board's events, Byron is excited about the connection with his sponsor.

"Everyone seems very friendly and excited about my goals. I hope to make it out to more Board of Trade events and help them spread the word to local companies about supporting amateur athletes in British Columbia," said Byron.

Byron's sights are currently set on making the Canadian National Team in the next year or two.

"Growing Champions is an innovative way for The Vancouver Board of Trade to demonstrate our involvement in the community," states Vancouver Board of Trade Chairman Henry Lee, who is also president of Tom Lee Music and a Growing Champions contributor himself. "We are very excited to support Byron as he reaches for his training and competition goals and achieves his dreams."

Growing Champions was as an athlete sponsorship program for high-performance athletes in BC. The program provided businesses with the opportunity to support the dreams and aspirations of these athletes. Three out of every four dollars provided by a business went directly to the athletes, while the remaining dollar is allocated to support future athlete development programs and increase sport participation in BC.

Growing Champions was in partnership with Canadian Sport Centre Pacific-PacificSport, BC Athlete Voice and the Province of British Columbia. Visit growingchampions.ca for more information.