Canadian Award Holders- Mark Arendz

I was involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program while enrolled in the Cadet Program of Canada, earning the Gold Award in 2012. One experience for me achieving the Gold Award was cycling the 300km tip-to-tip of Prince Edward Island. I appreciated the Award’s focus on not just one aspect of community leadership but many faucets, creating stronger leaders for tomorrow. It was not solely my athletic feats or volunteer work giving back to the community; I had to develop into a more holistic leader to achieve the Gold Award skills that I use every day.  

Being competitive by nature, I took a liking to sports at a very young age. I began skiing in the backyard when I was about five years old. At the age of seven, I was involved in a Farm accident where I lost my left arm. While the accident was initially a significant shock, it did not deter me from pursuing my love of sport and competition.  

I have competed in the past four Paralympic Winter Games: Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018 and recently, Beijing 2022. Over that time, I have earned 12 Paralympic medals, including two Gold. Six came from PyeongChang, where I was named Team Canada’s Flag Bearer at the Closing Ceremonies.  

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