University of Lethbridge hosts Olympic talent search, the RBC Training Ground

If you’re looking to be Canada’s next top athlete in the winter or summer Olympics, now’s your chance for the tryout of a lifetime...

Canada’s official Olympic talent search—the RBC Training Ground—is holding an event at 9 a.m. Saturday at the University of Lethbridge’s athletic facilities.

It’s entirely free and open to local athletes between the ages of 14 and 25 who are interested in finding out if they might be suited for an Olympic sport.

Athletes will be put through a series of workouts to test their speed, strength, power and endurance in front of 15 national sport organization partners.

“We’ve had Sarah Orban, who is a 2024 Paris Olympian. She was a Pronghorn. She played soccer. She did a little bit of track. We identified her in rugby. She never even jumped on a bike,” said Sam Effah, two-time Canadian 100-metre sprint champion.

“So, she came out to an event in 2017 (and) was identified by Cycling Canada. They’re like, ‘You got the skills? Try it out.’ She decided to do it, and yeah, the rest is history. Eighth place in Paris 2024.

“Even if you don’t know where you would land, you may find out you’re good at a sport that you never even knew existed. It’s one of those things.”

The top 100 athletes from these qualifier events will advance to the national final, and up to 35 will receive funding and resources to develop in their sport.

Since its inception in 2016, the RBC Training Ground has helped 21 program alumni reach the Olympic Games, 12 of whom have brought home medals for Team Canada.