Ghana’s Snow Leopard in Whistler Video Release

Vancouver, BC August 6, 2009 – Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong from Ghana, nicknamed the ‘Snow Leopard’, first stepped on skis six years ago at an indoor ski slope in the United Kingdom. Now, as a qualified athlete for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games next February, Kwame is the sole member of the Ghanaian 2010 Winter Games team.

In July, through an invitation from Tourism British Columbia, Tourism Whistler and the Canadian Tourism Commission, Kwame visited Whistler, BC – the Host Mountain Resort for the 2010 Winter Games – to check out the Olympic alpine venues and experience summer skiing on Whistler’s Horstman Glacier. Tourism British Columbia field reporter Chris Wheeler caught up with Kwame in Whistler and videos of the extraordinary visit are now posted on Youtube and Tourism BC’s website, www.HelloBC.com.

While the highlight of the visit was most certainly glacier skiing on Whistler Blackcomb, while in Whistler Kwame and his family also travelled the new world record-setting PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, went ziplining in Whistler’s temperate rain forest, cycled the valley trails, went canoeing on Alta Lake, visited the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre and stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott.

“This trip to British Columbia marks an important milestone in Kwame’s journey to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and we are delighted to be a part of this exciting occasion,” said Rod Harris, President and CEO, Tourism BC. “Kwame and his family certainly immersed themselves into the local surroundings during their stay and had some unique Whistler experiences that we are thrilled to share with potential visitors to BC.”

Tourism British Columbia is a Crown corporation that operates under an industry-led Board of Directors and is responsible for marketing the Super, Natural British Columbia® brand to the world. To access comprehensive information about the business of tourism in British Columbia and Tourism British Columbia’s programs, visit www.tourismbc.com.

To view the videos on Youtube, visit: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5FC67029E5DCAC33

To view the videos on Tourism BC’s website, visit: www.HelloBC.com.