McKechnie at Toronto Raptors practice.
Abbotsford, BC…The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades Athletic Department is pleased to announce the second annual Cascades Breakfast fundraiser is set for Thursday, September 5th at 7:00am, in the Envision Athletic Centre (gym). This year’s guest speaker is Alex McKechnie, Director of Sports Science for the Toronto Raptors. The cost of the tickets for the second annual breakfast is $75.00 per plate or $500.00 for a table of eight.
Last year over 150 people joined UFV ‘s athletic department as Canada’s national women’s soccer coach John Herdman dazzled the audience with a post-Olympic bronze medal speech. The department raised close to $10,000.00 in its initial fundraiser.
McKechnie joined the Raptors in 2011 as their Director of Sports Science. Regarded as an industry leader in core training and movement integration, McKenchie oversees all athletic training, rehabilitation and strength and conditioning for the Raptors. In addition to his current position, McKechnie worked for 13 seasons as the Athletic Performance Coordinator of the Los Angeles Lakers. In his time in the Lakers organization, they went to the NBA Final seven times and won five titles.
A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Alex came to Canada in 1974 to be the head physiotherapist to the Varsity Athletic Program at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. During his time at Simon Fraser, Alex also served as the team physiotherapist for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League (1974-82) and team physiotherapist for the 1976 Canadian Olympic Soccer Team. McKechnie left Simon Fraser in 1977 to open his own private practice specializing in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Three years later, he began working on a consultant basis with the Vancouver Canucks (1980-2000) and the Vancouver 86’ers. In 2001, after two years of work and research, McKechnie was issued a United States patent on the Torsion Board which he subsequently licensed with Reebok to produce the Reebok Core Board, a device widely used in the NBA, NFL, NHL and gyms in North America. He also developed the Core X system which has been widely adopted in the NBA, NFL, NHL, Premier League and European soccer.
McKechnie was the head Therapist of the Canadian World Cup Soccer team that won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000. In 2010, he was inducted into the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame.
The topic of McKechnie’s speech on September 5th will be “The Challenges and characters of life in the NBA.” Tickets will go on sale the second week of July online at www.ufv.ca/cascadesbreakfast for futher information contact giving@ufv.ca
To register in person please print the attached form and bring into the Athletics Office “T Building” Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Registration Form
Files and Pictures: courtesy of Toronto Raptors (NBA).
For further information on UFV Cascades fund raising breakfast contact Rocky Olfert, Athletic Director, 604-854-4583 – email: rocky.olfert@ufv.ca
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