Five Quebec athletes will receive $20,000 each annually, up to $500,000, thanks to a new scholarship program, the Canadian Olympic Foundation announced Thursday.
These five athletes are the snowboarder Éliot Grondin, the skater Sophia Jensen, the jumper Marion Thénault, the boxer Tammara Thibeault and the diver Nathan Zsombor-Murray.
“We love what we do, and we do it with a lot of passion, but it’s extremely demanding. There are a lot of constraints, and as a result we experience times that can be very stressful. Reducing financial stress takes a huge weight off our shoulders. We can focus on what we love, which is to practice our sport as much as possible,” Thénault said in a press release.
The program, established thanks to a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, is designed to provide financial support to Quebec athletes and aims to help them offset the increased costs of training and competition, as they aspire to represent Canada at the Summer Games in Paris in 2024, and at the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo in 2026, and beyond.
“Quebec has a great sporting and Olympic tradition, and there are several inspiring athletes from this province who are part of Team Canada,” recalled Eric Myles, chief sport officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee. We are very grateful to this donor who believes in sport and understands that his support will make a huge difference in the path of Quebec athletes to the Olympic Games. »
The winners will receive $20,000 per year, and this amount will be renewable for a maximum period of five years. The program is open to winter and summer athletes.
“We are delighted to be able to support Quebec athletes through this generous investment,” explained Jacqueline Ryan, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation and head of brand and commercial affairs for the Canadian Olympic Committee.
“Despite our best efforts, athletes do not always have all the resources they need to compete at the highest level. Donations like this provide access to the resources needed to propel them over the finish line,” added Ryan.
The top five athletes were selected based on their dedication to achieving high performance excellence, their previous participation in the Olympic Games, their Olympic potential and the impact this scholarship will have on the athlete’s financial capacity to compete on the world stage.
The Canadian Olympic Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Canadian Olympic Committee, with which it shares the goal of transforming Canada through the power of sport. Donations to the Foundation directly benefit Team Canada athletes at all stages of their Olympic journeys and the high performance services that support them.