The time has finally come.  John De Souza, your neighbour, friend, relative, and colleague is about to embark on the field hockey tournament of a lifetime, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Be sure to catch a glimpse of him at the opening ceremonies as he proudly represents Canada along with the other Canadian athletes. John will also be attending the closing ceremonies, at which he will hopefully be sporting some metallic hardware.

For those of you who do not know, John is about to reach the pinnacle of what has been a distinguished coaching career.  After spending years on the turf as a gifted athlete, having played both provincially and nationally, John is now attending the Olympic Games as a coach of the Canadian Men's national field hockey team.  John helped coach this very team to a gold medal win one year ago at the Pan American games in Rio de Janeiro.  At the Pan Ams, the gold medal winners also won the distinction of qualifying for the Olympics.  It has been a long journey, one which has meant significant sacrifice for John and in many areas of his life.

(In his spare time) John is also the head coach of the University of Toronto women's field hockey team (he coached them to a national victory last year), a proud member of the OPP (Toronto Detachment), not to mention the father of three little boys who couldn't be prouder of their father.  As his wife, I too am extremely proud to have had the opportunity of supporting him in this dream.  Last week in Vancouver, before an audience of distinguished guests and athletes, I had the honour of presenting John with his Olympic ring at the official team send-off dinner.  It was there that I observed how immensely he is respected in the world of field hockey.

Please join me in wishing John well.  Let's show John and his teammates what proud friends and Canadians we are.  He is carrying his blackberry and instantly receives e-mails at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  No doubt he would appreciate a brief word and show of support.

For those of you interested in watching, the television coverage/game schedule are as follows:

ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN STANDARD TIME (Toronto/New York)
12 August:  0630 Hrs  Canada Vs. Australia           (CBC)
14 August:  0600 Hrs  Canada Vs. Pakistan            (CBC)
15 August:  2230 Hrs  Canada Vs. Netherlands      (TSN)
17 August:  2030 Hrs  Canada Vs. Great Britain     (TSN)
20 August:  0600 Hrs  Canada Vs. South Africa      (can't find any coverage)

You may also consult the Field Hockey Canada website for updates and biographies at http://www.fieldhockey.ca/e/nationalteams/events/Beijing/index.htm.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Dowhaniuk