Supported by the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network , the Game Plan programme has a goal to provide Canadian athletes with resources for life beyond sport.

The new initiative unveiled today, which has been nearly three years in development, is said to take a proactive approach to total athlete wellness.

It is designed to alleviate life’s common stresses and distractions, allowing athletes and coaches to focus on performing when it matters most.

"Game Plan is a game-changing programme for our high performance athletes," said COC chief executive Christopher Overholt

"Designed by leading experts from the ground up with athletes and for athletes, it delivers a programme they have been in need of for years.

"It gives athletes the power to take control, build their own path to the podium on the field of play and plan their exit strategy off it.

"We are giving athletes the right tools they need to succeed at sport and in life."

The COC and Deloitte have also announced the renewal of their partnership through to 2032; an unprecedented term of engagement, highlighting Deloitte’s positive impact on the sport system in Canada.

"We are thrilled to expand our involvement with the COC through the development of Game Plan," said Frank Vettese, Deloitte managing partner and chief executive.  

"Having worked closely with the sporting community to determine our athletes’ needs, we’ve developed an incredible programme that will position athletes for continued success both within and outside of sport.

"Our renewed partnership with the COC through to 2032 will allow us to really make an impact on the future of sport in Canada and on the continued pursuit of Canadian excellence."

The Game Plan programme is said to have taken the very best information from all of its partners to cultivate an elite ecosystem of resources all in one place.

Game Plan advisors will form part of the integrated support teams for athletes, working alongside sport scientists and performance experts.

Skilled in supporting athletes, advisors will draw on their knowledge of high performance sport, career development, transition planning and goal-setting.

Both Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls will be encouraged to access the Game Plan programme’s five distinct elements, made up of education, skill development, health, network, and career management.

Each element comprises various pertinent modules - 33 initially - with others set to be added as the programme evolves.

The COC also announced today that human resources leader, Morneau Shepell, is partnering with the organisation through to 2020 as an official supporter and founding partner of the Game Plan programme, providing a suite of mental health services to athletes.

"Morneau Shepell is excited to announce its designation as official mental health partner and official supporter of the Canadian Olympic team, and founding partner of Game Plan," said Alan Torrie, Morneau Shepell President and chief executive. 

"Our expertise in designing and providing mental wellness programmes for a diverse set of organisations and their people makes this partnership both a natural and logical extension of our business activities.

"Game Plan as a total athlete wellness programme provides an unprecedented combination of resources and support to elite athletes, encouraging their best performance both during and following their careers representing Canada on the world stage."

Reigning women's trampoline Olympic champion, Rosie MacLennan, is among the Canadian athletes to speak of their support for the Game Plan programme.

"This is an incredible and ground-breaking initiative by the COC and its partners that will dramatically change the landscape of sport in Canada for the better," she said. 

"This total athlete wellness programme will ensure more seamless transitions, help our athletes compete longer and will motivate more Canadians to pursue their Olympic dreams knowing that this programme will ultimately help to ensure both high performance athletic outcomes, and high performance careers after sport."

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