What do Canadian Olympic medalists Marion Thénault, Miha Fontaine, Ryan Sommer, Avalon Wasteneys, Jerome Blake, Lauriane Genest and Kelsey Mitchell have in common? These athletes participate in a variety of sports, but not all in the same season. But these seven athletes share a common starting point on their Olympic journey: the RBC Training Ground.
RBC Training Ground is a national program that identifies and supports young Canadian Olympic hopefuls. Since the program launched in 2016, 13 of the program’s alumni have become Olympians. Canada’s team at Tokyo 2020 included eight RBC Training Ground athletes with five more competing at the Beijing 2022 Games. Most recently, RBC Training Ground alumnus Pierce LePage was crowned the 2023 decathlon world champion.
Could you be next? Here’s what you need to know about the program.
What is RBC Training Ground?
RBC Training Ground is a free program designed to identify and support talented Canadian amateur athletes. At RBC Training Ground events, athletes undergo testing in areas related to strength, speed, power and endurance under the watchful eye of professionals from the Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institutes Network Canadian, as well as national sports organizations (NSO).
Athletes identified as having high Olympic potential receive support from RBC in the form of funding as well as mentoring opportunities.
Who can participate?
RBC Training Ground believed that high performance sport should be accessible to all designated athletes. The program is free and anyone can register to participate in a qualifying event.
The RBC Training Ground targets ages 14 to 25, capturing those with early and late Olympic potential.
What types of tests do they perform?
Athletes are tested based on four categories of athleticism: speed, power, endurance and strength. Not only do these tests assess overall athleticism, but they also help identify a specific sport that the athlete might be well suited for.
Among the tests are:
- 40 meter sprint (speed)
- Mid-thigh isometric pull-up (strength)
- Vertical jump (power)
- 20 meter multi-stage shuttle run, aka the sound test (endurance)
Athletes participating via the virtual testing format – which anyone with an internet connection can access – are evaluated using tests that require strength, speed and power. The assessment includes three tests:
- Running (20 m)
- Vertical jump
- Multi-step fitness (AKA sound test, shuttle run or Léger-Boucher)
What is the National Final event?
Based on the results and data collected from all RBC Training Ground qualifying (and virtual) testing events, as well as subsequent sport-specific testing, the top 100 athletes nominated by partner NSOs are invited to the national final.
The national final is the final stage of testing before the selection of RBC’s “Future Olympians” – the top 30 athletes who will receive ongoing support through the program.
This year, the national final will take place on December 2 in Toronto. Future RBC Olympians will be announced in early 2024.
Which NSOs are participating?
RBC Training Camp partners with:
- Volleyball Canada
- Wrestling Canada
- Triathlon Canada
- Speed Skating Canada
- Rugby Canada
- Rowing Canada
- Luge Canada
- Freestyle Canada
- Cycling Canada
- Climbing Canada
- Canoe Kayak Canada
- Boxing Canada
How does financing work?
Athletes selected as RBC “Future Olympians” will receive financial assistance to be used to cover travel, competition, boot camp, training, nutrition or other sport-related costs. Funds are administered by the Canadian Olympic Committee directly to the athlete’s NSO.
How can I register?
Registration and the latest information on all local RBC Training Ground events are available at: RBCTrainingGround.ca.
Check top 100 here!
