Tennis Canada’s Director of Wheelchair Tennis and Manager of National Events, Janet Petras, has been elected to the 2021-25 Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) Board of Directors. The news was made official last Friday after the Committee’s 27 National Sports Organizations voted on its representatives for the next four years.
Selected from a pool of 14 candidates, the seven directors elected to the Board also include Robert Fenton, Peter Lawless, David Masse, David Rattray, Ian Troop and Ellen Waxman. Incumbent President Marc-André Fabien and Vice-President Gail Hamamoto were both confirmed for second terms, while Tony Walby returns as Athlete Director and Stephen Burke retains his position as Coach Director.
With over 20 years of Paralympic and Olympic experience as a senior sport leader at Tennis Canada, Petras will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her new position.
“I am very pleased and excited to have been elected to the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board of Directors for the next four years,” Petras commented. “I look forward to working with each Board member, our member National Sports Organizations and partners, as well as the Canadian Paralympic Committee staff to navigate through the challenges of the pandemic, deliver two Paralympic Games in six months, and to rethink and unify the sport system to meet the Committee’s vision of being the world’s leading Paralympic nation.”
As part of her role at Tennis Canada, Petras has attended three Paralympic Games – in Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and London (2012) respectively – and over ten World Team Cup events as a Coach or Manager. She has established relationships with key partners such as Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, Coaching Association of Canada, Sport Canada, and Canada’s Provincial Sport Organizations. Petras is also a long-time member of the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Wheelchair Tennis Committee, and level 3 coach.
“Janet’s election to the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board is so well deserved and a testament to her skill, leadership, contributions and commitment to excellence to our sport system over the years,” said Hatem Mcdadi, Senior Vice President, Tennis Development at Tennis Canada. “Janet joins an exceptional team of leaders that will be counted on to navigate through our current challenges faced by all sports and at the same time capitalize on the potential at hand. Our heartfelt congratulations to Janet and the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board and their members for electing a superb leadership team that will help advance our Paralympic sport movement in Canada for many years to come.”
