U SPORTS proudly announced Tuesday that Ben Matchett, Director of Athletics for the University of Calgary Dinos, has been appointed as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Winter Universiade.
After a devastating COVID related cancellation of the Lucerne 2021 FISU Winter Universiade, the Lake Placid 2023 Games are set to debut January 12-22. Matchett, with over two decades of contributions to Dinos Athletics including hosting 13 U SPORTS national championship events, marketing, communications and operations, Matchett is ready to set the tone and lead this Winter Universiade.
“For me, it's a huge honour, as it is, I know, for every one of the athletes who's going to be there,” said Matchett.
“Not a lot of people in North America really know about [the World University Games], but it's one of the few worldwide multi-sport Games that exist and really only second in size to the Winter Olympics in terms of winter multi-sport events so it's pretty exciting.”
Ben Matchett
With 115 days to opening ceremonies, Matchett returned to Calgary on Friday after a site visit in Lake Placid where he spent the week addressing logistical components such as transportation, accommodation and food and beverage with the organizing committee. “Lake Placid will be relatively decentralized,” said Matchett, one of many components that make organizing an event of this size challenging.
Matchett brings four World University Games experiences including Lucerne 2021 to his appointment as Chef de Mission and that “really helps in terms of understanding when we are putting together the staff and knowing what supports the athletes are going to need and some of the red flags that we have to look out for. Obviously, transportation is a major concern in every game with a huge logistical challenge, and help lets us get ahead of hopefully some of the challenges so that we can remove some of those barriers from the athletes and just let them focus on their competition,” said Matchett.
The first World University Games in North America since Buffalo hosted the Summer Games in 1993, this 11-day international festival and competition in Lake Placid and nearby towns will see athletes across the globe engage in educational and cultural events and compete for athletic excellence. “The state of New York and the organizing committee have done an incredible job with substantial investments into their sport infrastructure and totally revitalizing so many of the 1980 venues,” Matchett explains. It’s an “exciting opportunity for our athletes to compete in a beautiful part of the world with significant history in winter sports.”
Canada will host one of the largest delegations of the championships and with Lake Placid a two-hour drive from Montreal, the XXXl Universiade is proving to be an incredible opportunity for Canadian friends, family and fans to join the action live.
“I would just encourage anyone who is able to follow the Games, however you can, to do that whether it's watching the streams online, on TV or if you are able to get down to Adirondack region in New York, it's going to be a great time and I know our athletes are going to be excited to show what they can do...”
Ben Matchett
Matchett’s Mission Staff includes current and former U SPORTS Managers, International Games Operations, Alexandra Roy and Mary MacDonald as Assistant Chef de Mission and Operations Manager, respectively. Stéphane Jobin of Université Laval assumes the role of Communications Manager, joined by former Bishop’s Gaiters Digital Coordinator Clare Webb as Communications Coordinator.
The medical staff is led by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Janet McMordie of Lakehead and Chief Therapist Nadine Smith of Carleton.
TEAM CANADA MISSION STAFF
| Position |
Name |
Affiliation |
| Chef de Mission |
Ben Matchett |
Calgary |
| Assistant Chef de Mission |
Alexandra Roy |
U SPORTS |
| Operations Manager |
Mary MacDonald |
U SPORTS |
| Communications Manager |
Stéphane Jobin |
Laval |
| Communications Coordinator |
Clare Webb |
Bishop's |
| Chief Medical Officer |
Dr. Janet McMordie |
Lakehead |
| Chief Therapist |
Nadine Smith |
Carleton |
All procedures involving Team Canada's participation in the Games with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic will be determined by the U SPORTS national office, under the guidance and recommendations of U SPORTS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Taryn Taylor, Dr. McMordie and Smith, as well as FISU and the Lake Placid 2023 Local Organizing Committee.
“I'm choosing to be optimistic,” Matchett added in respect to the future of the Games. “The overarching concern here is always going to be health and safety and COVID is still with us” but, “when the Games do happen [and] get all the way through to completion” the priority is to ensure "everybody gets home safely.”
Mission Staff Biographies
Chef de Mission: Ben Matchett, Calgary
| Ben matchett |
| Chef de Mission |
| Calgary |
Ben Matchett was appointed as the eighth athletic director in Dinos history in July 2021. Entering his 21th season with the program, Matchett has been part of 13 U SPORTS Championships over his career. He has also served on both the Canada West and U SPORTS Board of Directors as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications.
As a graduate from the University of Calgary, Matchett completed his Masters degree in Education at the University of Washington in 2014.
Assistant Chef de Mission: Alexandra Roy, U SPORTS
| Alexandra Roy |
| Assistant Chef de Mission |
| U SPORTS |
Alexandra Roy is U SPORTS Manager of International Games Operations since March 2022. Prior to joining U SPORTS, Roy was Programs Manager with Karate Canada. Although these will be Roy’s first FISU Games, she worked in various roles for multiple international events including the 2020 and 2010 Olympic Games, the 2015 Pan American Games as well as the XLVI Super Bowl and multiple Grey Cups.
Roy is a graduate of Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in leisure sciences and the University of Louisville (KY, USA) with a Master of Science degree in Sport Administration.
Operations Manager: Mary MacDonald, U SPORTS
| mary macdonald |
| Operations Manager |
| U SPORTS |
Mary MacDonald currently runs a private sport consulting business, where in addition to working with U SPORTS, her clients have included the Canadian Olympic Committee, Biathlon Canada, Bowls Canada and the University of Ottawa varsity athletics department.
Previously, MacDonald held the title of Executive Director of Archery Canada from 2017-2020, and U SPORTS Manager of Sport & International Programs from 2009-2016, where she led all of Team Canada’s planning and preparations for six different FISU Universiades. She also held positions with the University of Ottawa in Student-Athlete Services and U SPORTS in Member Services & International Programs between 2006-2009.
MacDonald is a graduate of Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in leisure sciences and the University of Ottawa with a Master of Arts degree in human kinetics (concentration in Sport Administration).
Communications Manager: Stéphane Jobin, Laval
| Stéphane jobin |
| Communications Manager |
| Laval |
Stéphane Jobin graduated from Université Laval in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Communication. He has been a Sports Information Officer with the Rouge et Or from 2010 to 2019, where he had an active role in the organization of numerous national championships, including three Vanier Cups (2010, 2013, 2015).
Jobin also has FISU Games experience, serving as Team Canada’s Communications Manager at the 2015 FISU Summer Universiade in Gwangju, South Korea. He also served as Communications Officer at the 2019 FISU Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy.
Before joining Laval, he was the Editor-in-Chief for three weekly newspapers in the Ottawa region – L'Express d'Ottawa, La Nouvelle de Prescott-Russell and The Orléans Star. This experience allowed him to realize his dream and be selected to represent Transcontinental Media at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Communications Coordinator: Clare Webb, Bishop’s
| Clare webb |
| Communications Coordinator |
| Bishop's |
Clare Webb spent the last eight years as a member of the Bishop's Gaiters athletic department. Starting as a student intern, she was promoted to a full-time role as the Digital Media and Home Events Coordinator, following her graduation in 2017.
Webb is currently completing a post-graduate certificate at Toronto's George Brown College in Sport and Event Marketing.
This is her first time at the FISU World University Games.
Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Janet McMordie, Lakehead
| Dr. Janet mcmordie |
| Chief Medical Officer |
| Lakehead |
Dr. McMordie is a Sport Medicine physician originally from North Vancouver, B.C. but now based out of Orillia, Ont. She completed medical school, family medicine residency, and sport medicine fellowship at McMaster University and holds a diploma in Sports Medicine from the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM).
She was a member of the Medical Staff at the Taipei 2017 FISU Summer Universiade, Toronto 2017 Invictus Games, Red Deer 2019 Canada Winter Games, and the inaugural World Beach Games in Qatar.
Chief Therapist: Nadine Smith, Carleton
| nadine smith |
| Chief Therapist |
| Carleton |
Nadine Smith began her career as an athletic therapist at Carleton University in 1999, and has held the role of head athletic therapist for the past 14 varsity seasons.
Over the years, Smith has gained additional work experience at three Canada Games, as well as the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games.
Smith has several FISU Universiades under her belt, assisting the Canadian women’s hockey team to a gold medal at the 2009 FISU Winter Universiade in Harbin, China, before earning a silver medal with the team at the 2015 FISU Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain.
A native of Ottawa, Smith is a graduate of York University with a certificate in Sport Therapy and University of Ottawa with a degree in Human Kinetics.
