Gevaert was one of more than 2,500 athletes (aged 14-25) to participate in RBC Training Ground this year, an annual cross-country talent search run in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee and regional Canadian Sport Institutes. Only 100 athletes were invited to the final, held in Halifax on Nov. 2. Only 30 of the finalists were selected for funding.

RBC Training Ground sees athletes from a wide range of sports perform core speed, strength, power and endurance tests in front of Olympic talent scouts from thirteen different Olympic sports to find the sport for which they are most suited.

An athlete’s anthropomorphic measurements (height, wingspan, etc), sport-specific testing (conducted following the qualifier stage) and competitive sport history also play a role in who is selected for funding.

The complete list of 30 athletes selected for funding is available at RBCTrainingGround.ca

“Some of the athletes who participate in RBC Training Ground are looking to reenergize or boost an Olympic dream in a sport they are already participating in,” said Evan MacInnis, Technical Director, RBC Training Ground. “Others participate with the hope of being discovered and directed toward an Olympic sport they may have never considered. But they all rely on raw athleticism to impress our sport partners and compete for funding.”

Funding is administered by the participating National Sport Organization bringing the athlete into its system, and is used for things like coaching, transportation, travel, equipment, and nutrition.

NSO partners include Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton; Canoe Kayak Canada; Climbing Escalade Canada; Cycling Canada Cyclisme; Freestyle Canada, Luge Canada; Rowing Canada Aviron, Rugby Canada; Speed Skating Canada; Volleyball Canada, Flag Football Canada; Squash Canada; and Wrestling Canada.

Wrapping up its 9th year, RBC Training Ground is a nationwide talent identification and athlete-funding program dedicated to finding and supporting the next generation of Canadian Olympians. Since its inception in 2016, the program has tested 16,000 athletes at free local events across Canada, while also offering flexible virtual opportunities to participants unable to attend qualifiers in person. Since its inception, more than 3,000 have been identified by NSO partners as having Olympic potential.

Twenty-one RBC Training Ground alumni have competed at three Olympic Games, and together they’ve brought home a collective fourteen medals – including seven at the recent Paris 2024 Summer Games. Program alumni Krissy Scurfield and Avalon Wasteneys are among the most recent medal winners, bringing home silver for Team Canada. Program alumni Kelsey Mitchell (track cycling) and Marion Thénault (freestyle ski) are also among the medal winners, both of whom had never tried their Olympic sport before showing up at an RBC Training Ground event.

A new season of RBC Training Ground will be launching in January 2025. Visit RBCTrainingGround.ca for a complete schedule and details.

The post Huntsville Paddler Wins Funding Through Olympic Talent Search appeared first on Muskoka411.

Huntsville’s Tyler Gevaert, a 16-year-old slalom kayaker and Huntsville High School student, and Gravenhurst’s Will Nunnenmacher, a 15-year-old climbing athlete at Bracebridge Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, were identified as having Olympic potential. They will now compete with the top 100 prospects from across the country in a series of physical tests to earn funding and an accelerated path to the Olympics.

Gevaert will look to follow in the footsteps of fellow Muskoka Kayak School paddler Owen McKay, who earned funding through the program in 2022.

“Tyler made a big performance gain throughout this past summer and secured a spot to compete in Men’s Canoe at the World Cup final in La Seu d’Urgell in Spain, and at the 2024 National Championships, he won a silver medal,” said Emily MacKeigan, senior manager of High Performance Operations at Canoe Kayak Canada. “He also did well in the RBC Training Ground testing, so we’re excited to see him get this chance to earn this support.”

Nunnenmacher competes in the relatively new Olympic sport of Speed Climbing.

“I was on the bus on my way back from school when I found out I’d made the final,” said Nunnenmacher, whose home gym is Climb Muskoka. “My mom texted me a screenshot of the email saying that I made it. I jumped up from my seat, started to dance and told all my friends. It felt amazing. As soon as I saw that I was accepted, a huge smile crept across my face and I felt that all my hard work is finally paying off.”

Nunnenmacher, who also trains twice per week with the performance team at Boulder Parc in Scarborough, will be one of the youngest competitors at the national final.

“Will caught our attention at the RBC Training Ground event in Whitby, and then had very promising in-person testing results on the wall as well,” said Libor Hroza, national coach with Climbing Canada. “He is the youngest male athlete who made our cut for this program, and we think he is at the perfect age to step up his game.”

Gevaert and Nunnenmacher were among 2,500 athletes (aged 14 to 25) from a wide range of sports who participated in free local qualifier events across the country. The athletes perform core speed, strength, power and endurance tests in front of Olympic talent scouts to either find the sport for which they are most suited or earn a funding boost in their existing sport based on their raw physical abilities.

The top 100 deemed to have great Olympic potential will compete in the RBC Training Ground national final on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thirty athletes from the final will earn funding, a spot on Team Canada with one of twelve partner National Sport Organizations, and an accelerated path to the Olympics.

During RBC Training Ground National Final testing, athletes’ speed, power, strength and endurance will again be tested against sport-specific, high-performance benchmarks under the supervision of program sport partners. An athlete’s anthropomorphic measurements (height, wingspan, etc.), sport-specific testing (conducted following the qualifier stage) and competitive sports history also play a role in who is selected for funding.

The finalists, who will have transportation, hotel and food covered by RBC, will be joined at the Final by RBC Training Ground alumni and several Olympic medalists.

The 30 athletes selected for funding will be announced in the weeks following the final. The funding is administered by the participating National Sport Organization bringing the athlete into its system, and is used for things like coaching, transportation, travel, equipment, and nutrition.

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, Canoe Kayak Canada, Climbing Canada, Cycling Canada, Freestyle Canada, Luge Canada, Rowing Canada, Rugby Canada, Speed Skating Canada, Volleyball Canada, Football (Flag) Canada, Squash Canada and Wrestling Canada are all looking to identify new talent for development.

The complete list of 100 finalists is available at RBCTrainingground.ca.

Wrapping up its 9^th year, RBC Training Ground is a nation-wide talent identification and athlete-funding program dedicated to finding and supporting the next generation of Canadian Olympians. Since its inception in 2016, the program has tested 16,000 athletes at free local events across Canada, while also offering flexible virtual opportunities to participants unable to attend qualifiers in person. Since its inception, more than 3,000 have been identified by NSO partners as having Olympic potential.

Twenty-one RBC Training Ground alumni have competed at three Olympic Games, and together they’ve brought home a collective fourteen medals – including seven at the recent Paris 2024 Summer Games. Program alumni Krissy Scurfield and Avalon Wasteneys are among the most recent medal winners, bringing home silver for Team Canada. Program alumni Kelsey Mitchell (track cycling) and Marion Thénault (freestyle ski) are also among the medal winners, both of whom had never tried their Olympic sport before showing up at an RBC Training Ground event.

A new season of RBC Training Ground will be launching in early 2025. Visit RBCTrainingGround.ca for a complete schedule and details.

The post Two Muskoka Athletes Named Finalists In Olympic Talent Search appeared first on Muskoka411.

On May 9, 2023 officers responded to a report of a kayaker in need of assistance. A lone kayaker was located in the water approximately 20 meters off the shore by an off-duty City of Kawartha Lakes OPP officer who swam out to her location and assisted her back to shore. Thankfully the kayaker was wearing a life jacket at the time and was uninjured.

The OPP encourages Ontario boaters and paddlers to be well-informed about Ontario safe boating practices and laws to help ensure an enjoyable and safe boating season.

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The free event will run from 10 a.m. to around 1 p.m. and is open to athletes ages 14 to 25. Since it launched eight years ago, the program has identified and funded over 1,600 athletes across a range of sports. At least 13 athletes from the program have already competed at the Olympics, seven of which have medalled. Sam Effah, program lead for RBC Training Ground and two-time Canadian running champion, has attended scouting events as an RBC Olympian, but this is his first year working on the management team to find and fund athletes with Olympic potential. 

“We have 12 national sport organizations that are looking to recruit athletes, so as an athlete, you want to come with an open mind, but you want to make sure that you’re ready to go,” Effah said. “We have a speed test, endurance test, power test and a strength test, so if you’re able to perform on those tests really well, you’ll have a better chance of being identified by a sport.”

The organizations are looking to recruit for boxing, canoeing/kayaking, climbing, wrestling, cycling, freestyle skiing, luge, rowing, rugby, speed skating, volleyball and triathlon. After registration, attendees will go through a series of measurements and tests to help coaches and talent scouts gauge their Olympic potential. 

Staff will measure metrics like height and weight before the athletes move on to the four testing stations. Following the event, participants can check their results online and see how they compare to competitors across the country.

Each organization has different benchmarks they’re looking for, Effah said, so Rugby Canada may be looking for athletes that excel at the speed test while Cycling Canada may be looking at elements like thigh measurements and the endurance test. Some athletes come with a sport in mind while others let the professionals guide them to the right team.

“You never know what sport you could get aligned with, so taking a chance, I think, is really important here because you could be aligned with something that you never knew you were good at,” Effah said. “You never know until you try, and I would really push anybody who’s on the fence to, at the very least, come out and see what happens.”

Owen McKay, a 15-year-old slalom kayaker from Huntsville, also urges locals to give it a shot. He applied to RBC Training Ground last year not knowing what to expect. He did his best in the qualifiers and tried not to stress about it, and it’s an approach he recommends to any other young athletes considering the scouting event.

“You have nothing to lose,” McKay said. “The worst that can happen is you don’t make the final, and if you don’t, then you haven’t really lost anything. The only thing you’ll be doing at the RBC Training Ground is gaining experience with good, fit people, and it’ll be good competition and a lot of fun.”

McKay first got into kayaking when a friend inspired him to try it in Grade 6. Talent and passion came together quickly, so just one year later, he was attending races in Europe with his coach Andy Parry from Muskoka Kayak School. 

From there, he continued to compete at higher levels and was selected by RBC Training Ground as one of 30 athletes to receive funding last year. The funding helps cover his kayaking costs, including transportation, accommodations, coaching fees and equipment. The program has also provided him with an accelerated path to the Olympics through a spot on Canada’s national team.

He’s currently preparing for a selection race in Alberta this May, hoping to qualify for the Junior World Championships in August. Along with his supporters in Muskoka, he wants to thank RBC Training Ground for helping him further his paddling career.

“I was just in Europe training, and they helped me a lot with that,” he said. “Next year, it’s possible that they’ll help me again, so it’s been really good because it’s allowed me to compete at a higher level than I would be competing at if I didn’t have the help from RBC Training Ground.”

While McKay is off training, another future Olympian from a nearby town will be making an appearance at the event on April 15. Barrie native Rian Lenarduzzi started as a volleyball player, but after attending an RBC scouting event, she’s now training with the national rowing team in British Columbia. Effah hopes that having a local will inspire people from the Simcoe-Muskoka area to give the program a try.

“If you’re thinking maybe you don’t have it in you or you’re intimidated by the Olympic title, there’s an athlete from Barrie that’s been identified, and she was identified in 2021,” Effah said. “It’s really cool to see somebody who’s [gone] through the program not only coming back to give back but who’s now pushing to make that Olympic dream come true.”

Effah wants athletes to remember that they’ve identified potential Olympians from towns all over the country. Lenarduzzi and McKay are proof that talent is coming from all over, not just big cities like Toronto, Vancouver or Halifax. Seeing the success of the program so far makes Effah wish it was around when he was young.

Whether the goal is to reach the Olympics or simply to make a team at university, RBC Training Ground allows athletes to get in front of talent scouts while also benefitting from the mentorship of Olympic athletes. Worst case scenario, athletes that don’t get identified by a sport still have the chance to meet new people while refining their skills, Effah said, and successful applicants have the opportunity to get guidance from top experts in the field.

“For those athletes that maybe you’re nervous about going to an event, you can check out @RBCTrainingGround on Instagram to get not only a full calendar of the events but [also] what the testing looks like, how to participate and some athletes that have already come through the program,” Effah said. “We’ve done 17 events so far this year, so you can actually get a bird’s eye view of what these events look like and what you’ve signed up for.”

To register for the scouting event on April 15, visit the RBC Training Ground website.

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Fuhrmann, a retired businessman and a writer known by the pen name Mark Ervin, was born in Atikokan, Ontario, but he’s spent much of his life living in Norway. He returned to Canada in June to start his trip in Halifax before travelling through the St. Lawrence Seaway and into the Rideau and Trent Severn canals. He’s about a third of the way into the “Greater Loop,” which will bring him down to the Gulf of Mexico and back up to Halifax. He plans to complete his trip next June, a year from when he started, with the goal of kayaking 40 kilometres a day.

“This trip has been extremely challenging, more challenging than any kayak trip I’ve had,” Fuhrmann said. “The east coast of Nova Scotia was treacherous, the St. Lawrence, that was very, very demanding, and the Rideau Canal and the Trent Severn Waterway, they were just easy and nice.”

However, the respite was short-lived. After passing through Port Severn and Honey Harbour, Fuhrmann now faces the winds and shoals of Georgian Bay and the North Channel. Even with his experience travelling 5,900 kilometres by kayak on a 2018 trip from Oslo to Athens, the conditions on his North American excursion have proven to be some of the toughest he’s ever experienced.

Fuhrmann feels hopeful about the rest of his trip despite the growing physical and psychological pressure. Along with finishing a route never before completed on a kayak, he hopes to raise 100,000 euros for Captains Without Borders and Doctors Without Borders.

After working in communications for the maritime industry, Fuhrmann chose Captains Without Borders in order to support their goal of improving diversity in shipping and seafaring. He chose Doctors Without Borders in honour of his late wife, his soulmate, who worked as a physician. With those causes as part of his motivation, he’s been able to persevere.

“The best part of the trip is knowing that you can actually go further than you thought,”  he said. “That’s the number one thing for me is that I’ve been able to go forward despite my fears, despite not knowing what’s ahead of me, despite not knowing what tomorrow is going to be like. I can still move forward.”

In addition to raising money, Fuhrmann hopes to spread his message of “reversing the bad.” He encourages people to take whatever setbacks and hardships they’ve faced and do what they can to create something positive out of it. 

Whether it’s connecting with others who have faced the same pain or creating some good to counteract the bad, the people he’s met have shared their stories of reversing the bad, and that’s not all they’ve shared. Supporters have made signs, showed up for selfies, and offered supplies and sustenance. 

He’s shared many meals as well as a beer here and there with the folks he’s met during long days on the water. Some people have let him pitch a tent on their lawns while others have offered their own homes and beds. He’s been able to reconnect with long-lost cousins and even celebrated his 65th birthday with a group in Fenelon Falls.

“I’ve met people from all walks of life,” Fuhrmann said. “I’ve stayed in a trailer park. I’ve stayed in what we would call mansions. People open up their homes, and we’re all the same.”

He’s a firm believer in small acts of kindness and the impact they can have, and the people he’s encountered along the way have exemplified that belief. He hopes to continue making those connections as he heads toward the colder months ahead.

The only place he’s been able to explore so far on the trip was Quebec City, so even though he’s not even halfway through his journey, he’s already making plans to return.

“I would like to come back to Ontario and visit some of the places I’ve been to and possibly some of the people I’ve met along the way,” he said. 

He’s “overdosed on the beauty of Ontario,” especially Georgian Bay. The spectacular views remind him of his home in Norway, so when he makes his way back for a visit, Muskoka is undoubtedly on the list. Next time, though, he may forego the kayak and opt for a car.

Follow Fuhrmann’s Facebook page for regular updates on his trip, and visit his website to learn more about his efforts. Watch his most recent video update below.

The post Ontario-Born Kayaker Passes Through Muskoka On 10,500-Kilometre Journey appeared first on Muskoka411.

Over the past several months, more than 1,500 athletes from a wide range of sports participated in free local qualifier events across the country, performing core speed, strength, power and endurance tests in front of Olympic talent scouts to find the sport for which they are most suited or accelerate their journey in their existing sport. McKay, who paddles with the Muskoka Kayak School, recently returned from an international competition where he recorded first-place finishes in both C1 and K1 events.

The top 100 deemed to have great Olympic potential will now compete in the RBC Training Ground national final in Ottawa on Oct. 22, with the chance of being one of 30 athletes to earn funding, a spot on Team Canada with one of nine partner NSOs, and an accelerated path to the Olympics.

Athletes will be joined at the National Final by RBC Training Ground alumni and Olympic medalists: Avalon Wasteneys (Rowing, Gold, Tokyo 2020); Jerome Blake (Athletics, Bronze Tokyo 2020); Kelsey Mitchell (Cycling, Gold, Tokyo 2020); Marion Thénault (Freestyle Skiing – Aerials, Bronze, Beijing 2022); and Pierce LePage (Athletics). Olympians Chloe Dufour Lapointe (Skiing); Justin Kripps (Bobsleigh); Justine Dufour Lapointe (Skiing); Marie-Philip Poulin (Hockey); Melissa Humana-Parades (Beach Volleyball); Miranda Ayim (Basketball); Penny Oleksiak (Swimming); and Valerie Maltais (Speed skating) will also be on hand to encourage participants.

As part of RBC’s commitment to finding the next generation of Olympic talent, transportation to Ottawa, hotel and food are all included for the invited athletes.

During RBC Training Ground National Final testing, athletes’ speed, power, strength and endurance will again be tested against sport-specific, high-performance benchmarks under the supervision of program sports partners. An athlete’s anthropomorphic measurements (height, wingspan, etc), sport-specific testing (conducted following the qualifier stage) and competitive sports history also play a role in who is selected for funding.

“RBC Training Ground is designed to help fill Canada’s Olympic sport talent pipeline and provide Next Gen talent with the high-performance sport resources needed to reach podiums,” said Evan MacInnis, technical director of RBC Training Ground. “Some of the athletes who participate in RBC Training Ground are looking to reenergize or boost an Olympic dream in a sport they are participating in. Others participate with the hope of being discovered and directed toward an Olympic sport they may have never considered. But they all rely on raw athleticism to impress our sport partners and compete for funding.”

The 30 athletes selected for funding will be announced following a nationally televised special documentary later this fall.

Funding is administered by the participating National Sport Organization bringing the athlete into its system and is used for things like coaching, transportation, travel, equipment and nutrition. NSO partners include Bobsleigh Skeleton Canada; Canoe Kayak Canada; Cycling Canada Cyclisme; Freestyle Canada, Luge Canada; Rowing Canada Aviron, Rugby Canada; Speed Skating Canada; and Volleyball Canada.

The complete list of 100 finalists will be posted by Sept. 16 at RBCTrainingground.ca in the community/news section.

Now in its seventh year, RBC Training Ground is a nationwide talent identification and athlete-funding program dedicated to finding and supporting the next generation of Canadian Olympians. Since its inception in 2016, the program has tested 12,000 athletes at free local events across Canada with more than 1,600 being identified by NSO partners as having Olympic potential.

Thirteen RBC Training Ground athletes have competed at two Olympic Games, and together they’ve brought home a collective seven medals. Program alumni Kelsey Mitchell and Marion Thénault are among the medal winners, both of whom had never tried their Olympic sport before showing up at an RBC Training Ground event, only a few years before their Olympic debut.

A new season of RBC Training Ground will be launching in early 2023. Visit RBCTrainingGround.ca for details.

The post Huntsville Paddler Named Finalist In Olympic Talent Search appeared first on Muskoka411.

The OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT) members attended and with the assistance of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) out of Trenton, a Griffon helicopter was dispatched to aide in their rescue.

The pair had left Willow Creek in their tandem kayak four hours prior with the intention of travelling the Nottawasaga River with their destination being Edenvale Conservation Centre. As they travelled the river and entered the area of the Minesing swamp, it became too narrow to maneuver their vessel any further. Unable to get turned around or get to solid ground, the pair called police for assistance. Just before midnight the pair were extracted by helicopter to a nearby airport, and one party was transported to hospital as a precaution.

The OPP would like to remind everyone that it is their responsibility to make sure they are prepared when travelling into remote areas and to appropriately manage any risks associated with these recreational activities.

Search and rescue operations can be complex, expensive and time consuming and involve multiple agencies who, themselves are put at risk. Our best advice is to avoid putting yourself in potentially dangerous circumstances in the first place and to properly plan for contingencies, be prepared for worst-case scenarios, and take along appropriate equipment/clothing.

Last night, a CH-146 Griffon from @RCAF_ARC 424 Sqn assisted @OPP_CR by aiding two kayakers stranded in a swamp near Wasaga beach via hoist. The individuals were flown to Lake Simcoe airport in good condition. @CFOperations pic.twitter.com/LcS5TZ1Ur9

— Trenton JRCC CCCOS (@JRCCTrentCCCOS) August 29, 2022

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On June 18, 2021, shortly after 10 a.m., City of Kawartha Lakes OPP, and the local Fire Department, responded to a call for assistance from a kayaker reporting their friend was stranded in the water. The caller advised that their friend had been in the water for quite some time wearing a life jacket and holding onto the kayak, but that they could not make their way to shore.

Despite poor weather conditions, the kayakers were both found in good health and brought to shore by the fire department.

This is a good reminder of the importance to always wear a PFD and have safety equipment while out on the water.

When you go out in a boat, it is important to:

• Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Know what safety equipment your boat requires and confirm that it is on board.
• Ensure that there are enough life jackets for everyone on board and remember, they only work when you wear them.
• Know your abilities and stay within them.
• Take your fully charged cell phone with you.

For more information on required safety equipment, check out Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide: https://tc.canada.ca/sites/default/files/migrated/tp_511e.pdf

A file photo

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