Tony Flores Explained

Tony Flores
Nationality:Canadian, Filipino
Birth Place:Philippines
Father:-->
Country:Canada
Sport:Paracanoe

Tony Flores is a Filipino Canadian paracanoe athlete who lives in Edmonton, Alberta. He served as the first appointed advocate at the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities with the Government of Alberta.

Para-athletics

As a para-athlete, Flores has competed internationally, including as a member of Canada's paracanoe team at the 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Canada,[1] [2] which was the premiere of paracanoe in sport competition.[3] Flores also competed in paracanoe at the 2010 event in Poland and in 2011 in Hungary. He has also competed in wheelchair racing and para-Nordic skiing.[4]

Flores has served as the director of the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award for eight Paralympic Games. Additionally, he has served on the board of directors of the nonprofit Alberta Sport Connection, from 2016 to 2018.[5]

Advocacy

On October 30, 2018, Flores was appointed as the first Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, with the opening of the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities within the Government of Alberta. His three-year term ended on October 31, 2021.[6]

Flores is the inspiration for the children's book Tony's Wheels, by Mila Bongco-Philipzig.[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Philipzig . Mila . November 16, 2018 . Pinoy Named as First Advocate for Persons with Disabilities in Alberta: Tony Flores . Alberta Filipino Journal . Edmonton . December 5, 2022.
  2. News: Billacura . Moses . February 17, 2021 . EBOA Referee Rolan, Three-Time National Athlete Tony Flores. Alberta Filipino Journal. Alberta . December 5, 2022.
  3. Web site: Sport Week: History of para-canoe . March 10, 2016 . International Paralympic Committee . December 5, 2022.
  4. News: From para-athlete to advocate: Tony Flores is Alberta's new disability advocate . CBC News . Edmonton . November 2, 2018 . December 5, 2022.
  5. Alberta Sport Connection . Alberta Sport Connection Annual Reports . Government of Alberta . December 5, 2022 .
  6. News: Graney . Emma . October 30, 2018 . Para-athlete Tony Flores named as Alberta's first disability advocate . Edmonton Journal . Edmonton . December 5, 2022.
  7. News: Tony Flores, Alberta's first Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, inspires new book Tony's Wheels . Canadian Filipino Net . January 21, 2021 . December 5, 2022.