Harris was among more than 2,500 athletes (aged 14-25) from a wide range of sports who participated in free local qualifier events across the country in 2025, performing core speed, strength, power and endurance tests in front of Olympic talent scouts. Participating athletes aim 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 now compete in the RBC Training Ground national final on Saturday November 1, 2025 in Vancouver. Thirty five athletes from the final will earn funding, a spot in the national development program with one of fifteen partner National Sport Organizations, and an accelerated path to the Olympics.

“Overall Ryker has embraced the pursuit of high-performance goals and has shown clear improvement,” said Emily MacKeigan, Senior Manager, High Performance Operations at Canoe Kayak Canada. “On the water he participated in several international development races in Europe this season, consistently progressing toward the top third of the field in his Under 16 age group. Ryker also won an impressive silver medal at the 2025 national championships in the Men’s Canoe event (open age group).”

While accepting his spot in the National Final, Harris was asked to explain what moving on in the talent search would mean. He wrote: I was having lunch with my dad at provincial Championships when I learned (I made the national final), it was such a good feeling to have hard work recognized. RBC future Olympian funding would help with hiring coaches and training overseas in Olympic settings, as an elite athlete.

During RBC Training Ground National Final testing, athletes’ speed, power, strength, and endurance will again be tested against sport-specific, high-performance benchmarks under supervision of program sport partners. 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 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 35 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. Participating sports include Biathlon Canada, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, Canoe Kayak Canada, Climbing Canada, Cycling Canada, Field Hockey Canada, Freestyle Canada, Luge Canada, Rowing Canada, Rugby Canada, Speed Skating Canada, Volleyball Canada, Football (Flag) Canada, Ski Jumping Canada and Wrestling Canada – all looking to identify new talent for development. 

The complete list of 100 finalists is available at RBCTrainingground.ca in the community / news section.

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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.

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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.

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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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.

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“On behalf of Council and the residents of Bracebridge, I wish Collin all the best at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing,” said Mayor Graydon Smith. “He’s an incredible athlete whose dedication and determination to excel is an inspiration to us all. We are so proud and excited for you, and behind you all the way!”

“I am delighted to wish Collin good luck and safe travels as he heads to Beijing to compete in Para Nordic Skiing in the 2022 Paralympics,” said MPP Norman Miller. “I know that all of Parry Sound – Muskoka will be cheering him on from home. We are all so proud to see local talent represent Canada on the biggest sporting stage in the world.”

Collin first tried Para Nordic Skiing in November 2015 at an identification camp in Canmore, Alberta, and he began competing in January 2016. Collin won three bronze medals in a very successful Paralympic Games debut in 2018.

He was third in the 7.5 kilometre and 15-kilometre races in the biathlon and helped Canada to third in the open cross-country relay. He has had successful skiing seasons since then, and is looking forward to representing his country in Beijing.

The games are set to start March 4, 2022. Tune in to Para Nordic Skiing to catch Collin’s race.

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The event, which is new to the Olympics, has skiers launch off a ramp to perform tricks that are scored based on the number of rotations, flips and grabs. Just like the event itself, Oldham is making her Olympic debut this year. She led the pack heading into finals after placing first in the qualifying rounds. She ended the event with a score of 178, trailing 4.5 points behind Swiss bronze medalist Mathilde Gremaud. Competitor Eileen Gu took gold for China while France’s Tess Ledeux took silver.

Oldham will have another chance to add to Canada’s medal count by competing in the women’s freeski slopestyle event this weekend. The qualifying runs begin this Saturday at 9 p.m. EST with finals starting at 8:30 p.m. the next day. 

Local residents and businesses have shared their support for Oldham through signs, social media and more, and she isn’t the only Parry Sound-Muskoka athlete in Beijing.

Fellow Parry Sound olympian Graham Ritchie competed in the men’s individual sprint free cross-country skiing event. He placed 34th in the qualifying rounds, missing out on the top 30 slots that advanced to the quarter finals by less than a second.

Gravenhurst snowboarder Liam Brearley is also in China, attending as an alternate for the snowboard slopestyle event. Though he didn’t compete, he was able to practice alongside fellow Canadian athletes Max Parrot and Mark McMorris, who won gold and bronze respectively in the event this past weekend.

Another Parry Sound athlete, wheelchair curler Mark Ideson, will be competing in the Paralympic Winter Games, which take place from March 4 to 13.

? What an Olympic debut for Megan Oldham & Olivia Asselin! ⛷

In the women’s freeski big air final, Oldham put down two solid jumps, earning a score of 178 points for 4th place.⁣⁣ ?

➕ Asselin finished 8th with 147.50 points, saving her best for her final run (85.50). ? pic.twitter.com/dCnMtbYDzP

— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) February 8, 2022

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The Olympic Games in Beijing are quickly approaching, and Cheerios is putting the power of cheer in the hands of fans across Canada. Once again, athletes will be performing without the cheers of Canadian fans in the stands and now more than ever they are feeling the pressure and stress of representing our country. To help empower Team Canada and support Canadian athletes as they go for gold, Cheerios Cheer Cards are going digital. For the first time ever, boxes of Honey Nut, Multi-Grain and Yellow Box Cheerios will feature a QR code inviting fans to submit digital cheers to inspire and motivate Team Canada athletes.

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Starting Monday, July 12 at 12:01 a.m., the first of three 50/50 charitable raffles go live in support of sport across the country. Running until Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 9:00 p.m., Canadians can enter into their provincial or territorial raffle by going directly to TeamCanada5050.ca.

Purchasing tickets for the Team Canada 50/50 is a great way to support Canadian Olympians on their path to the podium. Net proceeds from each provincial raffle will be invested directly into the respective provincial and territorial sport system, helping athletes to pursue their Olympic dreams.

“With the Olympic Games just moments away, the Team Canada 50/50 will add to the excitement. This historic national effort allows sports enthusiasts to lift Team Canada to new heights while directly impacting sport in communities across the country,” said Cindy Yelle, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Olympic Foundation and former Team Canada athlete. “Every Canadian who participates in the 50/50 is helping us deliver on the potential to help make Team Canada the greatest it can be.”

The Team Canada 50/50 officially launched on Monday and tickets are now available to purchase. Each winner will take home half of the final jackpot and the other half will be invested into the winner’s province or territory. Tickets start at just $10 and can be purchased via TeamCanada5050.ca. Players must be of majority age in their home province in order to play. The 50/50 is currently available in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

For more information about the Canadian Olympic Foundation and how you can support Team Canada, please visit olympicfoundation.ca

SOURCE Canadian Olympic Foundation

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