Paralympic Inspiration Award Captures Essence of Olympic Triumph

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - O.C. Tanner, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) licensee that invited 2010 U.S. Olympians to honor their mentors by submitting nominations for the Inspiration Award, is offering the same program to the 2010 U.S. Paralympic Team. The Inspiration Award is a 14k gold commemorative ring which honors Olympic and Paralympic mentors. O.C. Tanner is now posting stories of inspiration written by Paralympic athletes and encouraging the public to vote for their favorites through the end of the Paralympic Winter Games.

"True inspirations in their own right, Paralympic athletes have overcome set-backs and adversity in order to reach their goals and dreams," said Lisa Baird, Chief Marketing Officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee. "The Inspiration Award honors those who cheered them on from the sidelines -- coaches, friends and family members who pushed them to be their best, and as a result, helped make their Paralympic journey a reality."

The public is encouraged to read the stories, vote for their favorite and share with their own Facebook friends. From the submission of U.S. Paralympic alpine skier Joe Tompkins:

"After graduating from high school, like many teenagers, I didn't have a care in the world. Everything changed on January 23, 1989. That night I was a passenger in a car involved in a drunk-driving accident. One friend was killed. Another left in a coma. And in an instant, I found myself paralyzed from the waist down. My life trajectory, my goals and dreams were lost at the age of 19. I lost myself too. The next 2 years were a downward spiral of drug and alcohol use. I lost the will to live. I had given up. I know if it hadn't been for the love, care and support of my mother, I would not be alive today."

Nodding to the influence of mentors for Olympic athletes in ancient Greece, the Inspiration Award features a laurel crown and the words "Inspire, Olympian and Mentor" in Greek. The memento will honor individuals who encouraged an athlete's dream. It will serve to spread appreciation and acknowledgement to those who will likely never receive Olympic medals of their own, but who made it possible for someone else.

While all Paralympic athletes are invited to submit nominations, only three will be awarded the ring. They will be selected by the USOC, O.C. Tanner and the public voting via the Facebook voting page. O.C. Tanner's appreciation fan page allows visitors to read each athlete nomination and vote for the story they think is most inspiring. Visitors can also comment and share stories with their Facebook friends. Individuals do not need to be Facebook members or page fans to vote for an athlete.

To learn more about the Inspiration Award and vote for your favorite Paralympic athlete, visit: www.facebook.com/octanner.appreciation.

About the USOC
The USOC is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole entity in the United States whose mission involves training, entering and underwriting the full expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. In addition to being the steward of the U.S. Olympic Movement, the USOC is the moving force for support of sports in the United States that are on the program of the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games.

About O.C. Tanner
O.C. Tanner is an international appreciation and recognition business based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company helps more than 8,000 clients worldwide appreciate people who do great work. Because celebrating great work inspires people to invent, to create and to discover. And when people are inspired, companies grow. O.C. Tanner has also been the proud licensee of the U.S. Olympic Team commemorative rings since 2000.