Young athletes compete for Olympic funding at RBC Training Ground Halifax qualifier

RBC Training Ground came to the Canada Games Centre in Halifax Sunday to test the next generation of athletes for Olympic potential.

RBC Training Ground came to the Canada Games Centre in Halifax Sunday. This is the 10th year for the program that has been instrumental in identifying and developing Canada’s Olympic athletes.

The event was an opportunity for athletes to test their limits in speed, strength, power and endurance.

Representatives from 15 national sports organizations were in attendance Sunday to watch for anybody who might have Olympic potential.

“I heard rugby is one of the sports and everybody says I should join rugby,” said 15-year-old participant, Abigail Gaudet.

To date, the nationwide program has helped produce 21 Olympians who’ve represented Canada at the summer and winter games.

“We’ve come home with some hardware too. Fourteen Olympic medals have come from this program from the Beijing games, Tokyo games and these past Paris Olympics,” said Evan MacInnis, the national lead for RBC Training Ground.

Four-time Olympic gymnast Ellie Black from Halifax was in attendance, fresh off winning the Progress Club’s Sports Legacy Award Thursday at the 52nd Desjardins Sports Charity Dinner at the Halifax Convention Centre.

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, if you have a dream and you have a community around you, dream big and go for it,” Black said.

The top 100 athletes from Training Ground qualifiers held across the country will advance to the national finals. Up to 35 athletes will receive funding and resources to pursue their Olympic dreams.

“We’ve had over 16,000 athletes tested over the last number of years. 1,700 of those athletes have received funding support to move on,” MacInnis said.

Eli Nowlan paddles in kayak and canoe sprint events. He’s come close to winning one of the top spots in the past.

“I went to the finals twice actually,” Nowlan said. “I haven’t gotten any funding so I’m trying to get funding this year.”

Black said participating athletes should keep an open mind because it’s possible to test well for a sport they’ve never played and might know nothing about.

“Come in, try your best, not stress about it, but also open your mind and your eyes to possibilities,” Black said.

One hundred eighty-four athletes participated in RBC Training Ground Halifax. The program’s next stop is in Saint John, N.B., where athletes are invited to test on April 13.

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