Don Cherry lends support to Canadian Paralympic athletes

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Many celebrity sports figures are in Vancouver to promote the 2010 Paralympic Games which start on Friday and continue until March 21st including one flamboyant TV hockey commentator.

A downtown luncheon Wednesday featured B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, and Hockey Night In Canada’s Don Cherry. Cherry praised Canadian sledge hockey goalie Paul Rosen for striving for greatness even after losing his leg.  “Well I think I’m one of the highest profile guys in hockey, and to think that I was here and I know Paul quite well.  Guys like Paul, I just think the world of him.  That’s the kind of people, they have the courage to keep going with all their disabilities.”

Cherry adds it’s great to see the athletes get the recognition they deserve.  “When these Games started I remember you couldn’t get coverage anywhere.  I mean there would be a little thing in the back page like that, and Paul used to say you know it’s really something that we work so hard and nobody gives us any publicity, and now I hear they’re sold out.”

Many sledge hockey games are sold out, including the gold medal game.  Cherry is hoping his high profile will give Rosen and the other athletes the publicity they’ve been waiting for.  “It was the same as women’s hockey.  In 1980 there was nobody speaking about women’s hockey, I’m not saying I did it, but I remember I used to on my own, go down to Ottawa when they played, go down to Kitchener, and I used to put it on ‘Coach’s Corner’ all the time.”

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