Three Island-based sports organizations get Next Gen funds
During normal times, the RBC Training Ground program would have come through the University of Victoria CARSA Gym this summer looking for uncovered potential athletic gems for future Olympics.
But these aren’t normal times. The nationwide talent search had to be cancelled halfway through its run this year, with the decision made to give the $230,000 earmarked for the athletes directly to national sports organizations with the provision the money must be spent on Next Generation programming.
National sports organizations were asked to submit proposals. Based on those, grants of between $10,000 and $30,000 have been made to nine organizations.
Three are based on the Island — Rugby Canada in Langford, Rowing Canada at Elk Lake and Cycling Canada, the latter with the national mountain-biking team centralized on Bear Mountain. (Ten national sports organizations are located on the Island).
The other organizations across the country to receive the funding are Canoe-Kayak Canada, Freestyle Ski Canada, Speed Skating Canada, Ski Jump Canada, Nordic Combined Canada and Boxing Canada.
“This commitment comes at an especially critical time for our national sport organization partners, who are under financial pressure,” said David Shoemaker, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
“These funds will help reduce the financial burden on emerging athletes and help ensure their journey to the podium stays on track.”
RBC Training Ground has put 8,500 raw hopefuls through their paces since 2016 at more than 100 free all-comers tryouts across the country. Victoria has been an annual stop on the Training Ground tour.
More than 800 potential highperformance athletes have been identified in the four years of the program, with the first expected to make their Olympic debuts at Tokyo next year in the 2020 Summer Games, which have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
More than $1.7 million in development funding has been provided through the program to 117 RBC Future Olympians.