CALGARY, AB - January 13, 2014 /CNW/ - The Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is pleased to welcome Olympian Cheryl Bernard as the newest member to the organizing team, as the Honourary Chair for 2014. Cheryl Bernard is best known for her long list of curling accomplishments and awards. She is a four-time Alberta women's champion, Canadian Runner-up, TSN Skins finalist and has maintained a top 5 status on the World Curling Tour for the past 8 years and a silver Olympic medal earned at the Vancouver Winter Games, where Cheryl was nominated by her peers as the 2010 Most Valuable Player in Women's curling. 

The Olympian recently missed out on qualifying to represent Canada in Sochi but that hasn't stymied her motivation for competition. Cheryl has registered for the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon in support of one of the official charities in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, World Vision.

She is building a team of runners to race for Team World Vision in support of child health projects around the globe. 

"This might be my biggest mental challenge yet," says the Canadian Skip. The 43-year-old is known for her avid fitness, but hasn't run in 10 years and never a marathon. "Go big or go home," says Bernard. "We are so grateful that as a World Vision Ambassador Cheryl really walks the walk, or in this case runs the run. I am proud to run beside her on behalf of #teamwv and children everywhere," says Alicia Pereira of World Vision Canada.

"The 50^th Anniversary of the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is a great moment in history to take on a running challenge and Cheryl exemplifies a true champion tackling her first marathon and making her race more meaningful by choosing a charity close to her heart," said Kirsten-Ellen Fleming, executive director of the Calgary Marathon Society. "We want to encourage all runners, walkers and supporters to make next year's race more meaningful by either making a one-time donation or fundraising for any of our official charities."

Cheryl has started a 26-week fitness-training regime and is being mentored and trained by a team of marathon experts including Calgary Marathon Society Hall of Fame member, Dr. Peter Nieman.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Who: Cheryl Bernard, Kirsten Fleming (Scotiabank Calgary Marathon) and Alicia Pereira (World Vision Canada)
When: Tuesday, January 14 at 9 a.m. 
Where: Eau Claire Market, upstairs outside GoodLife Fitness

About the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon: 
Canada's Oldest Marathon Turns 50 in 2014
Celebrate 50 years of running with 15,000 running buddies with the "run through the decades" at the 50^th Anniversary celebration of the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon on June 1, 2014. There is a race for every age and ability including the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon, the Centaur Subaru 21.1K, the Jugo Juice 10K, the AstraZeneca 5K, the Scotiabank Kids Marathon and the special one-time only 50K for 50 years. Runners will experience the sights and sounds of different decades from the 60s to the present day as they walk and run from the early years to present day in five distinct legs of the 2014 marathon course. Participants in vintage costumes from their favourite decade will have the chance to win one of five grand prizes for the "best dressed of their decade" and win a trip to run a marathon anywhere in Canada. In 2014, $1.1 million is expected to be raised through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, supporting an anticipated 80 local charities.

About Scotiabank:
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

 For more information contact:

Kirsten-Ellen Fleming 
Executive Director
Calgary Marathon Society
587 899 2287
Kirsten@calgarymarathon.com

Jennifer Ashley 
Scotiabank Charity Challenge Coordinator 
403 710 2464
charitychallenge@calgarymarathon.com

Alicia Pereira
World Vision Canada
647 291 2520
Alicia_Pereira@worldvision.com