Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Documentary on paralympian Arendz wins Gold Award

Arendz misses gold in BC but finds gold in New York
War Amps film featuring PEI Champ wins communications award

The Journal Pioneer

NEW YORK, N.Y. – A War Amps documentary, which features the inspiring story of Mark Arendz of Prince Edward Island, has won a Gold Award at the 2010 International Mercury Awards in New York City.
“Mark, an Island Champ”, a 30-minute-long documentary, tells the story of how Arendz, now 20, lost his left arm at the age of seven in a farm accident. Soon after, he enrolled in The War Amps Child Amputee (CHAMP) Program and attended an Atlantic CHAMP Seminar, which was a positive turning point for both him and his family.
For Mark, it was a chance to meet and be inspired by other amputees. For his parents, it meant being embraced by the Champ “family” and the reassurance that there would be no limits to what their son could achieve.
Mark adopted Champ’s Winner’s Circle philosophy, and is now a role model for the younger Champs and a volunteer Safety Ambassador.
Arendz just returned from competing at the Paralympic Games in Whistler, B.C. A member of the Canadian Para-Nordic team, Arendz put in several strong skiing performances at Whistler Paralympic Park, including a final leg in the cross-country relay where Canada finished seventh.
Arendz also competed in the one-kilometre sprint but did not move past the qualifiers. He was seventh in the three-kilometre biathlon pursuit and set a personal best in the 10-kilometre cross-country race.
The 2010 International Mercury Awards, which honour excellence in professional communication, were chosen from nearly 1,000 entries from more than 20 countries.

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Mark was on the season finale of The Rick Mercer Report last night where Rick ribbed him a bit about

his photo in Chatelaine Magazine's "Our nation’s best...undressed". Quite the exposure Mark....

Photographs by KC Armstrong and Colin Way

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