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Chuck Bastie interviews former NHL hockey player and skater Brian McGrattan and skater Vanessa James as they say goodby to Battle Of The Blades for 2019. They also discuss the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) as Brian's charity of choice, and Alzheimer Society of Canada as Vanessa's charity of choice!

Brian McGrattan is competing with Vanessa James. He is skating for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society.

Brian McGrattan began his hockey career as a minor league player in Hamilton, Ontario. He was known as the top scorer on his team, which helped him catch the attention of the Ontario Hockey League in 1997. He played five seasons on multiple teams, scoring a staggering 21 goals in only 31 games between 2000/2001.

McGrattan made his NHL debut in 2005 as a top enforcer for the Ottawa Senators, and made a name for himself as one of the best enforcers in the league. After being traded in 2008 to the Phoenix Coyotes, McGrattan struggled with substance abuse which required the NHL superstar to seek rehabilitation that would change his life for the better. McGrattan later returned to hockey with a new outlook on life, and returned to the Calgary Flames where he became a positive influence amongst his team. McGrattan moved on to play overseas with the Nottingham Panthers in England where he retired as a hockey player in 2017.

Although McGrattan retired, he never abandoned hockey completely, taking on a position as the director of player assistance for the Flames providing mentorship to players in need.

McGrattan is competing with Vanessa James as his partner. He is skating for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society — a charity that works towards helping find shelter for homeless animals in Alberta communities.For more information about about Vanessa's charity of choice, go to https://alzheimer.ca/en/Home

Vanessa James is competing with Brian McGrattan. She is skating for the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

Figure skater Vanessa James was born in Scarborough, Ontario. After a trip to the skating rink as a young girl, James and her twin sister, Melyssa, fell in love with figure skating and began skating at the age of 11.

James went on to become a pairs skater for France. She is now a six-time French pairs champion, 2018 Grand Prix champion, 2018 World bronze medallist, and most recently the 2019 European champion with her partner Morgan Ciprès. James is the first active figure skater to compete in the Battle of the Blades competition while actively working towards World and Olympic titles.

She is a fan favourite, winning over crowds with her warm and engaging personality. Her 2018 season was one of her most successful, winning gold medals in virtually every competition her and her partner entered.

James is competing with Brian McGrattan as her partner. She is skating for the Alzheimer Society of Canada — a charity that works towards making life easier for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias while working towards advancing research, treatment and finding a cure.

For more information about Brian's charity of choice, go to https://aarcs.ca/

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Vanessa's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/vanessa-james-1.5274366

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Brian's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/brian-mcgrattan-1.5274334

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #Brian McGrattan, #sports, #AARCS, #Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society, #Deanna Thompson, #Vanessa James, #sports, #Alzheimer

Chuck Bastie interviews skaters Amanda Kessel and Eric Radford, as they were eliminated last week on Battle Of The Blades. Amanda and Eric discuss their participation in the show, as well as the good fortune working with their charities, SickKids Foundation and

AMANDA KESSEL is competing with Eric Radford. She is skating for SickKids Foundation.

Wisconsin born Amanda Kessel has always been a natural at hockey. Coming from a sports-oriented family, there is no shortage of talent across the Kessel board. Her father was drafted into professional football, and her brothers, Phil and Blake, are also professional hockey players.

Kessel played for four years at college level hockey, and helped her team win three national championships. In 2013 she was selected as the winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Kessel has been on Team U.S.A. since 2008 and in the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia, she helped lead her team to a silver-medal win. Most recently, she helped her team win gold in PyeongChang, South Korea in 2018.

Outside of hockey, she runs her own clothing line, AK28, with Gongshow Gear.

She now devotes her time to supporting the growth and development of young women in hockey, and helping create opportunity for girls who have a dream of getting onto the ice.

ERIC RADFORD is a Manitoba-born figure skater and a three-time Olympic games medalist and has won multiple other titles with his skating partner Meagan Duhamel. Radford is the only openly gay male to have won an Olympic Games gold medal.

He is an advocate for the Canadian Olympic Committee's #OneTeam initiative, which supports LGBTQ inclusion and promotion in the sport.

Inspired by skaters such as Kurt Browning in the early 1990's, Radford began skating at the age of eight. He moved away from home at the age of 14 to pursue his figure skating career, and hasn't looked back since. He is a back-to-back world champion (2015 and 2016) and in 2018, he and Duhamel became the first pair to successfully complete a quadruple throw jump at any Winter Olympic competition.

Radford is competing with Amanda Kessel as his partner. He is skating for Egale — an organization dedicated to improving the lives of all LGBTQI2S people.

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Amanda's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/amanda-kessel-1.5272213

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Eric's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/eric-radford-1.5274061

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #eric radford, #sports, #amanda kessel

Chuck Bastie interviews skater Amanda Evora as well as her reasons for choosing Boys and Girls Club of Canada as her charity of choice! Chuck also chats with President and CEO Owen Charters from the Boys and Girls Club of Canada about the wonderful partnership they have with Amanda!

Amanda Evora is competing with Colton Orr. She is skating for the Boys and Girls Club of Canada.

Amanda Evora is a New York-born American pairs figure skater. At the age of 17, Evora moved to Florida to pursue a career as a figure skater. Over the span of a decade, she became a five-time pairs medalist alongside her longtime partner Mark Ladwig. The two represented Team U.S.A. at numerous international competitions. After years of being a well-respected skater, she retired in 2012 — but never officially put her blades away.

In 2013 Evora came out on top as the winner (alongside her partner Scott Thornton) of Battle of the Blades Season 4, and won $100,000 towards the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation that season.

She continues to coach figure skating alongside her former coach and mentor Jim Peterson. The two have had one team make it to the 2014 Olympics and also had another pairs team win at the US Championship in 2016.

This season, Evora is competing with Colton Orr as her partner. She is skating for the Boys and Girls Club of Canada — an organization dedicated to encouraging and empowering children, and helping them carve out a successful path for their futures.

For more information about Amanda's charity of choice, go to https://www.bgccan.com/en/

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Amanda's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/amanda-evora-1.5274307

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #Colton Orr, #sports, #AARCS, #Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, #Owen Charters, #Amanda Evora

Chuck Bastie interviews former NHL hockey player and skater Brian McGrattan as well as his reasons for choosing Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) as his charity of choice! Chuck also chats with Executive Director Deanna Thompson from the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society about the wonderful partnership they have with Brian!

Brian McGrattan is competing with Vanessa James. He is skating for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society.

Brian McGrattan began his hockey career as a minor league player in Hamilton, Ontario. He was known as the top scorer on his team, which helped him catch the attention of the Ontario Hockey League in 1997. He played five seasons on multiple teams, scoring a staggering 21 goals in only 31 games between 2000/2001.

McGrattan made his NHL debut in 2005 as a top enforcer for the Ottawa Senators, and made a name for himself as one of the best enforcers in the league. After being traded in 2008 to the Phoenix Coyotes, McGrattan struggled with substance abuse which required the NHL superstar to seek rehabilitation that would change his life for the better. McGrattan later returned to hockey with a new outlook on life, and returned to the Calgary Flames where he became a positive influence amongst his team. McGrattan moved on to play overseas with the Nottingham Panthers in England where he retired as a hockey player in 2017.

Although McGrattan retired, he never abandoned hockey completely, taking on a position as the director of player assistance for the Flames providing mentorship to players in need.

McGrattan is competing with Vanessa James as his partner. He is skating for the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society — a charity that works towards helping find shelter for homeless animals in Alberta communities.

For more information about Brian's charity of choice, go to https://aarcs.ca/

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Brian's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/brian-mcgrattan-1.5274334

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #Brian McGrattan, #sports, #AARCS, #Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society, #Deanna Thompson

Chuck Bastie interviews skater Kaitlyn Weaver as well as her reasons for choosing Canadian Tire Jumpstart as her charity of choice! Chuck also chats with Marco Di Buono from the Canadian Tire Jumpstart about the wonderful partnership they have with Sheldon Kennedy and Kaitlyn Weaver!

Kaitlyn Weaver is competing with Sheldon Kennedy. They are skating for Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.

Kaitlyn Weaver was born in Houston, Texas and began skating by the age of six. By 17, Weaver moved to Kitchener, Ont. where she began skating alongside her current partner Andrew Poje. Weaver and Poje won a bronze medal in ice dancing at the Canadian Championships after only five months skating as teammates.

Together, both Weaver and Poje have represented Canada internationally for about 13 years. The two have gone on to win three World Ice Dance medals, gold medals at the Grand Prix Final Championships, as well as three Canadian Ice Dance titles. The pair placed seventh in both the Sochi 2014 Olympics as well as the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018.

She is currently an ambassador for Right To Play, and is also a co-founder of Skate To Great, a charity dedicated to giving Canadian children the opportunity to get on the ice regardless of their economic or physical circumstances.

Weaver is competing with Sheldon Kennedy as her partner. They are both skating for Canadian Tire Jumpstart — a national charity that helps kids overcome barriers in their lives, whether it be financial or accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in an effort to provide inclusive play for all.

For more information about Kaitlyn's charity of choice, go to jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Kaitlyn's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/kaitlyn-weaver-1.5274252

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #Sheldon Kennedy, #sports, #Canadian Tire Jumpstart #Marco Di Buono, #Kaitlyn Weaver

Chuck Bastie interviews former pro hockey player and skater Sheldon Kennedy as well as his reasons for choosing Canadian Tire Jumpstart as his charity of choice! Chuck also chats with Marco Di Buono from the Canadian Tire Jumpstart about the wonderful partnership they have with Sheldon and Kaitlyn Weaver!

Sheldon Kennedy is competing with Kaitlyn Weaver. They are skating for Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.

Manitoba born, former NHL superstar Sheldon Kennedy has had a successful career. He has played for teams such as the Detroit Red Wings, the Boston Bruins and the Calgary Flames. Kennedy has become an advocate and inspiration for survivors of abuse after courageously coming forward to shine light on the abuse he faced as a teenager at the hands of his coach.

The former NHL star has kept quite busy. He has received numerous awards including being named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2015, the David Foster Humanitarian Award in 2014 and many other honours. Kennedy also co-founded the Calgary & Area Child Advocacy Centre, which provides youth with tools to empower and prevent online bullying and harassment.

Kennedy is competing with Kaitlyn Weaver as his partner. They are both skating for Canadian Tire Jumpstart — a charity dedicated to giving families in financial need and their children a chance to participate in organized sports.

For more information about about Sheldon's charity of choice, go to https://jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Sheldon's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/sheldon-kennedy-1.5274123

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #Sheldon Kennedy, #sports, #Canadian Tire Jumpstart #Marco Di Buono

Chuck Bastie interviews skater Vanessa James as well as her reasons for choosing the Alzheimer Society of Canada as her charity of choice! Chuck also chats with Saskia Sivananthan from the Alzheimer Society of Canada about the wonderful partnership they have with Vanessa!

Vanessa James is competing with Brian McGrattan. She is skating for the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

Figure skater Vanessa James was born in Scarborough, Ontario. After a trip to the skating rink as a young girl, James and her twin sister, Melyssa, fell in love with figure skating and began skating at the age of 11.

James went on to become a pairs skater for France. She is now a six-time French pairs champion, 2018 Grand Prix champion, 2018 World bronze medallist, and most recently the 2019 European champion with her partner Morgan Ciprès. James is the first active figure skater to compete in the Battle of the Blades competition while actively working towards World and Olympic titles.

She is a fan favourite, winning over crowds with her warm and engaging personality. Her 2018 season was one of her most successful, winning gold medals in virtually every competition her and her partner entered.

James is competing with Brian McGrattan as her partner. She is skating for the Alzheimer Society of Canada — a charity that works towards making life easier for those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other dementias while working towards advancing research, treatment and finding a cure.

For more information about about Vanessa's charity of choice, go to https://alzheimer.ca/en/Home

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Vanessa's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/vanessa-james-1.5274366

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #Vanessa James, #sports, #Alzheimer, #SaskiaSivananthan

Chuck Bastie interviews skater Natalie Spooner as well as her reasons for choosing Fast and Female as her charity of choice! Chuck also chats with the CEO and Founder of Fast and Female, Chandra Crawford about the valuable partnership they've struck with Natalie.

Natalie Spooner is competing with Andrew Poje. She is skating for Fast and Female.

Born in Scarborough, Ont., Natalie Spooner began playing hockey at the age of four. By the time she was a teenager, she was offered a scholarship to play for Ohio State University. She played for their team, The Buckeyes, beginning in 2008 and played there for four seasons, while also earning her pre-med nutrition degree. In 2012 Spooner played one season with the Toronto Furies after being drafted into the Canadian Women's Hockey League.

In 2014, Spooner secured her spot on the Canadian Women's Olympic Hockey Team, where she earned her first gold medal in Sochi, Russia. Post Olympics, she returned to the Furies where she earned the Clarkson Cup Championship's Most Valuable Player. She became the first woman in hockey history to win both an Olympic Gold Medal and the Clarkson Cup Championship in the same year. Spooner also helped Team Canada bring home a silver medal in 2018 at the PyeongChang Olympics. She is currently playing and training in pursuit of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Spooner has always been an avid volunteer and dedicates her free time to charity events. She believes deeply in the empowerment of women and wants to continue to help young girls and women get into sports.

Spooner is competing with Andrew Poje as her partner. She is skating for Fast and Female — a charity dedicated to keeping girls healthy and providing them with positive athletic role models.

For more information about about Natalie's charity of choice, go to https://www.fastandfemale.com/

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Natalie's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/natalie-spooner-1.5274455

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #Natalie Spooner, #sports, #fast and female, #chandra crawford

Chuck Bastie interviews skater Ekaterina Gordeeva as well as her reasons for choosing the Heart & Stroke Foundation as her charity of choice!

Ekaterina Gordeeva is competing with Bruno Gervais. She is skating for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Ekaterina Gordeeva was born in Moscow, Russia, and by the age of four was already training as a figure skater. By the age of 11, Gordeeva was a natural on ice and was paired with Sergei Grinkov. After years of skating together, Gordeeva and Grinkov were considered icons of Russian figure skating — and are still considered the greatest of all time. The two went on to get married and continued to skate as a pair, becoming two-time Olympic gold medallists, four-time World champions and two-time European champions.

In 1995, Gordeeva suffered the tragic and untimely loss of her long-time skating partner and husband Sergei Grinkov. Following his passing, Gordeeva continued to do what she loved and skated as a solo skater worldwide and for Stars On Ice until 2000.

She has gone on to write and publish two books about her career, one of which ended up topping the New York Times Best Seller List. She also competed and won Season 2 of Battle of the Blades alongside partner Valerie Bure. They won $100,000 towards Cardiac Kids and Compassion Canada charities.

This season, Gordeeva is competing with Bruno Gervais as her partner. She is skating for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

For more information about about Ekaterina's charity of choice, go to https://www.heartandstroke.ca/

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and Ekaterina's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/ekaterina-gordeeva-1.5274432

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #Ekaterina Gordeeva, #sports

Chuck Bastie interviews hockey player and skater PJ Stock as well as his reasons for choosing the ALS Society of Quebec as his charity of choice!

Former NHL hockey player and past Battle of the Blades competitor (Season 2) and Season 4 judge, Philip Joseph "P.J." Stock is a popular figure in Canadian sports media.

Never drafted, the Quebec native played for two seasons with the Victoriaville Tigers of the QMJHL from 1994-96 and began his NHL career in 1997 as a free agent with the New York Rangers. After spending three seasons with the Rangers organization, Stock went on to sign with the Montreal Canadiens prior to the 2000-2001 season and was traded after 20 games to the Philadelphia Flyers. He later played two seasons for the Boston Bruins where he became a standout and fan favourite for his tenacious and gritty style of play.

After retiring as a player in 2004 he hosted a radio show on Montreal station Team 990 and later became a regular member of the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast team for close to a decade. In 2018, Stock was the ice hockey analyst for CBC/Radio-Canada's coverage of the Winter Olympic Games PyeongChang. He currently appears on RDS.

This season, Stock rejoins his Season 2 partner, Violetta Afanasieva. He is skating for the ALS Society of Quebec — a charity that works to provide support and referrals for people living with ALS and their loved ones, fund research, and raise awareness of the disease.

For more information about about PJ's charity of choice, go to http://als-quebec.ca/

For more information about CBC's Battle Of The Blades and PJ's profile, go to https://www.cbc.ca/television/battleoftheblades/skaters/p-j-stock-1.5276083

To reach Chuck, email him at [email protected], or phone the Listen UP Talk Radio contact line at 1-866-269-6155!

@cbcbattle, #botb, #battleisback, #cbctv, #skating, #battleoftheblades, #PJ Stock, #sports