The Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto

Considering studying English this summer? Study in our Toronto school, and you’ll find yourself in the middle of the buzz and excitement of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games!

The Pan Am Games – short for Pan American Games – is a major sporting event where thousands of athletes from the Americas come to compete in a variety of events. They are the third largest international multi-sport games, coming behind only the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games.  The Games take place every four years, in the year preceding the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.

In Toronto, spectators can expect to see 10,000+ athletes, coaches and officials from all over the world, along with 20,000 volunteers working to make the event a resounding success.

36 sports are represented in the Games, including archery, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, cycling, football (soccer), gymnastics, wrestling, and many more. The games take place from July 10 through July 26, 2015, and some venues are only a few minutes’ walk from KI Toronto! Click here to see a full list of events and their schedules.

Much like in the Olympic Games, the athletic events are complemented by opening and closing ceremonies at the beginning and end, and competitors coming in first, second, and third place in each event receive gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively.

Just after the Pan Am Games are the Parapan Am Games, which run from August 7 through August 15. Athletes with physical disabilities compete in these games in 15 different sports. The program has been steadily growing over the years, and Toronto’s Parapan Am Games are the largest in the event’s history.

Learn more about the events on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Practice your sports terminology while you learn English in beautiful Toronto, international center of finance, business, arts, and culture.

Which event are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!