OH WHAT A TEAM! TOYOTA AMBASSADOR HEADS TO BEIJING
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Toyota Ambassador, Michael Milton, has officially been announced as part of the Australian Paralympic Team competing at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Toyota Manager of Events and Promotions, Wayne Gabriel, said he is delighted to see Michael officially announced as part of the team and said that he was one of many Paralympic Athletes that embodied many of Toyota's key values.
"Michael's passion for excellence and continuous improvement has made Toyota and the rest of Australia very proud," Wayne said.
"He has been an excellent Ambassador for our brand, assisting us with the promotion of a number of our sponsorships including National Tree Day and the Australian Paralympic Committee and he has been an enthusiastic motivational speaker for our staff," he said.
This is Michael's sixth Paralympic Games, but his first as a Summer Athlete. He joins 169 other Paralympic Athletes in the quest for gold, including 27 Athleteswho were discovered through the Toyota Paralympic Talent Search Program.
A total of 992 people have participated in the Talent Search Program since it was launched in March 2005, with its success underlined by those 27 athletes who have already earned selection in the 2008 Team.
"Toyota has been delighted to support the Toyota Paralympic Talent Search Days, which have played an important role in uncovering talent for this Paralympic Games and beyond," Wayne said.
"It's fantastic to reach out to potential athletes in their home towns - many in rural and regional areas. Many of these athletes may have gone undiscovered without this grassroots initiative," he said.
To-date, the Australian Paralympic Team has won 906 medals from previous Paralympic competition. They are hoping to reach a total of 1,000 medals in Beijing.
The Australian Paralympic Team will depart for Beijing on 1 September ahead of the Beijing Paralympic Games opening ceremony on 6 September. In all, there will be 472 medals on offer.
The Toyota Paralympic Talent Search Days are just one way that Toyota supports its local communities.
Other initiatives include the Toyota Good for Footy program, which supports grassroots football in Victoria and Southern New South Wales, and the Toyota Community Spirit program which works with organisations including Australia Business Arts Foundation and Conservation Volunteers Australia and National Tree Day.
To find out more visit www.toyota.com.au
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For further media information or to find out information on local athletes selected through the Toyota Paralympic Talent Search Days please contact:
Chriss Mannix
Haystac
Tel: 03 8689 2227
Mob: 0418 408 035
