When Mount Washington Alpine Resort got busy with its vision of hosting international teams before the 2010 Winter Olympics, Strathcona Nordics Past-President Len Apedaile was right there.
Now, Apedaile will be in the thick of the Olympic cross-country scene in Whistler. And he’s bringing a mini-army of volunteers from Vancouver Island to help him out.
Apedaile has been working as Manager, Cross-Country Skiing for the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games since last April (and was Interim Manager between February and April).
Prior to that he worked on a part-time basis as a Nordic Paralympic Co-coordinator responsible for organizing the March IPC World Cup test event at Whistler Paralympic Park. He was also Chief of Competition for that Event.
“In my current role I am responsible for planning and executing the cross-country skiing events for the Olympic Winter Games and the cross-country skiing and biathlon events at the Paralympic Winter Games,” Apedaile said in an e-mail interview with The Marmot. Plus 53 training sessions over 25 days during the Olympics, and 32 medal events over seven days and 22 training sessions over nine days for the Paralympic Games.
“My team for the Olympics is 236 volunteers and staff, and for the Paralympics, 229 volunteers and staff,” Apedaile said.
He’s not the only Vancouver Island person working the Olympics. There are 14 Island cross-country skiing volunteers who will work with him, including Susan Denny and Wilf Dreher from Courtenay, who are Course Marshal and Course Marking Supervisors.
Joe Bajan of Nanaimo, who is involved with the Vancouver Island Biathlon Club, is Chief of the Biathlon Range for the Paralympics.