RBC, in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Canadian Olympic Foundation (COF), CBC Sports and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute (COPSI) Network is announcing it will be intensifying its search for young Olympic hopefuls across the country through RBC Training Ground – a series of free regional events where local athletes participate in testing combines to measure their speed, power, strength and endurance.
To officially kick-off its third year, RBC Training Ground has added Saskatchewan and Manitoba to its regional line-up, enabling even more young Canadian athletes to compete for a prime spot with a National Sport Organization (NSO), including Cycling Canada. In addition, the number of NSOs participating in the program has grown to 14 partners, which means that more sports partners are using RBC Training Ground to find and identify potential future Olympians.
“Many young athletes dream of competing in the Olympic Games, but lack the opportunity and support they need to make these dreams a reality. That’s why we developed RBC Training Ground, a series of combines across Canada that fill the talent pipeline to make Olympic sports more accessible to athletes who have podium potential. These undiscovered athletes now have a chance to show their skills, and by holding events in even more communities across Canada, we’re making it possible for them to one day step onto the Olympic podium and represent our great nation.”
– Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC
The RBC Training Ground is open Canadian athletes between the ages of 14-25. Participants will be measured against performance benchmarks set by NSOs to determine an athlete’s capacity for each individual sport. Thirty athletes will be selected and will receive ongoing support funding from RBC in order to purse their Olympic dreams (including travel, coaching, and nutrition expenses). Since 2016, RBC Training Ground has tested 2,500 elite young athletes across the country, and dedicated a totla of $675,000 in funding to support promising future Olympians.
2018 RBC Training Ground Schedule for British Columbia
Registration and event information for all local RBC Training Ground events is available at RBCTrainingGround.ca.
