Fellow Canadians Jennifer Botterill and Jeremy Wotherspoon share more in common than just a flag – they also share a need for speed!

Yep, Jennifer left many an opponent standing in her wake as she helped lead the Canadian ice hockey team to three consecutive Olympic gold medals; while eight-time World Champion speed skater Jeremy quite literally lived life in the fast lane, reaching record-breaking speeds of almost 60km an hour!

Keen to pass on her experience, Jennifer said about her job as an Athlete Role Model: “It will be a great opportunity to help the athletes find a strong sense of self-confidence, and to reinforce a belief in their potential. I am excited about being part of the environment with a contagious positive energy.”


 
Equally excited about the prospect of Innsbruck 2012, Jeremy, who took silver in the 500m at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games, explained: “The best thing I can offer the athletes as a Role Model is a chance for them to meet somebody who has experienced Olympic highs and lows, but has used other types of experiences as tools to become a better athlete and better prepared for all of the challenges to be faced in life.”

Both Jennifer, who won her first Olympic medal aged 19, and Jeremy, who began training with the national team at 17, know the pressures of competing on an international stage at a young age, and can both can see the benefits of the Youth Olympic Games. “For a young athlete, the Olympics can feel like it’s a long way in the future, but the Youth Olympic Games can help to keep these young athletes excited and believing in themselves,” said Jeremy.

Next week: Introducing Petra Majdic and Andreas Küttel.