IPC Ice Sledge Hockey will begin its first-ever Movember campaign on Friday (1 November), as five Sochi 2014 Paralympic hopefuls will grow moustaches during the 30 days of November to raise awareness for both men's health issues and the sport of ice sledge hockey.
Canada's Graeme Murray, Czech Republic's Erik Fojtik, Norway's Loyd Remi Solberg, Russia's Dmitry Lisov and the USA's Josh Sweeney have all committed to the campaign, and they will soon become walking, talking billboards for IPC Ice Sledge Hockey and Movember. Each player will begin the month clean shaven and will grow a #SledgeStache to prompt conversations everywhere and draw attention to the importance of men's health and the significance of sport in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For the final 10 days of the month, fans around the world will then have the chance to vote on Paralympic.org for which player has grown the best #SledgeStache.
The Movember Foundation was founded 10 years ago with the intention of raising awareness for prostate and testicular cancer. In 2012, more than 1.1 million Movember participants raised over US $145 million worldwide, and to date, more than three million people have raised US $444 million for the initiative. Movember will provide the five ice sledge hockey athletes a platform to create a strong connection to their fans and community, helping build the brand of IPC Ice Sledge Hockey.
"Moustaches aren't worn as much as they were in the past, and because of that, they get attention quickly," Sweeney said. "When people see in-shape Paralympic athletes sporting a lip sweater, they are going to want to find out what's going on and share it with their friends. Ice sledge hockey is an amazing sport, and when people find out that we are helping the community by raising awareness for men's health, they will understand we are a community that cares."
For the first time in 2013, Movember will launch a global "MOVE" initiative, which encourages Movember participants to promote an active lifestyle to challenge the world population's decline in physical activity. Through social media and IPC Ice Sledge Hockey blogs, the five players will encourage people with an impairment around the world to get up from their sofas and get involved in sport to lead a more active lifestyle.
"I believe that people, especially men, don't pay attention to their health until they get ill," Lisov said. "We should all remember that health is the greatest wealth, and let's help those people who lost their wealth. "Thanks to the Movember campaign, which is very famous across the world, I hope to raise awareness for men's health as well as for the sport of ice sledge hockey."
Throughout Movember, the public is encouraged to tweet @IPCISH using the hashtags #SledgeStache and #Movember to discuss men's health issues and the sport of ice sledge hockey. More information on the IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Movember campaign, as well as links to the athletes' donation pages, can be found at http://www.paralympic.org/ice-sledge-hockey/movember. For more information on IPC
Ice Sledge Hockey, please visit www.ipc-icesledgehockey.org.
