UBC celebrates Rio-bound Olympic and Paralympic athletes

The University of British Columbia put ona noisy celebration of its 29 Olympic andParalympicstudent-athletesWednesday in a scene no one could haveimagined a few years agowhen the school seemed intenton eliminating a number of its varsitysports teams.

What a difference a couple of years makes.

Today, the festivities kicked off withincoming UBC president Santa Ono congratulatingRio-bound athletes with a gift ofhis signature bow tie,whilenew athletics directorGilles Lepinespoke glowingly about the pride the school feelsin itsOlympians.

And then there was Canadian Olympic Committee president and UBC gradTricia Smith encouraging her Thunderbird brothers and sisters to embrace the Olympic spotlight.

The biggest smiles in the room belonged to eight UBC field hockey players who learned early this morning- and in dramaticfashionthey had made the Olympic cut.

"Theyhad Brent Hayden [Olympic swimming medalist]come and wake us up at 4:30 in the morning. They took us to a boot-camp-type setting, got us on a helicopter and flew us around Cypress Mountain," said forwardKeeganPereira.

"All our friends and family were there.Then they gave us our Olympic jackets.It was crazy!"

Martha McCabe, captain of the Canadian women's swim team, says UBC has become acrucible of talent and motivation for elite Canadian athletes.

"You see one person in your class or group who qualifiesor sets a world record, andyou see that it's possible," said McCabe, who narrowly missed winning a medal in London four years ago. "[Success]just becomes contagious."

UBC also recognized the17 Rio Olympic team coaches, support and medical staff with T-Bird connections, includingswim coach TomJohnson, a veteran of 11 Olympics teams.

"Each Olympics is really special and I'm still having fun doing it," said Johnson, who made his Olympiccoaching debut 40 years ago. "I like to compete and I want to see if what we're doing is good enough against the rest of the world."

Canada will send approximately 315 athletes to the Rio Olympics.