Celine Dion has teamed up with the Canadian Olympics team to cheer on this year’s athletes, acknowledging her own health issues to share how everyone is “capable of overcoming our own challenges”.
The singer has voiced a promotional video in French-Canadian and in a statement she shared: “The stories of these athletes inspire me. I cannot wait to see what each of them accomplishes when they go for it in Paris this summer, where I hope they will also inspire the world.
“It was an honor to be part of this campaign and to help tell their stories.”
Michael J Fox is also part of the campaign; “I’m so proud to be part of this campaign,” said the Back to the Future actor, who also voices the English-language video to accompany the campaign.
“It’s amazing to see what these athletes have overcome in order to achieve greatness. I think that story is so important, and we can all relate to that struggle to persevere despite the odds. I consider myself part of Team Canada, and I’ll be cheering them all on as they compete in Paris this summer.”
The promotional campaign follows nine Canadian athletes and the obstacles they must overcome to compete on the world stage, including gymnast Ellie Black, weightlifter Maude Charron, and swimmer Hugo Houle.
Celine has been keeping a low profile ever since she stepped out of the spotlight in October 2021 following her decision top share that she was diagnosed with the rare disease, stiff person syndrome, The syndrome induces muscle spasms that forced her to cancel her Las Vegas residency and postponed the North American and European legs of her Courage world tour.
Stiff person syndrome is a rare neurological disorder, and symptoms include muscle rigidity in the trunk and arms, often triggered by noise, touch, and emotional distress. People with stiff person syndrome suffer from frequent falls because they lack defensive reflexes to save themselves. Sufferers are often unable to walk or move, and it’s twice as common in women than in men.
The 2024 Olympics will take place in Paris, and sports commentator Mike Tirico, former NFl quarterback Peyton Manning, and singer turned talk show host Kelly Clarkson have been named the NBC hosts of the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris this summer.
The Games will kick off on July 26 at the French capital and will air in the United States on NBC