photos by Kevin Light, of Kayden Johnson at an event in 2018, and Erin Watchman, an athlete identified in 2021.

By RBC

The RBC Training Ground Olympic Talent Search is Coming to Saskatchewan

Mar 7, 2022 | 1:01 PM

The innovative program, which has already found and funded seven Canadian Olympic medallists, is hosting a free event at the University of Saskatchewan’s Physical Activity Complex on Saturday, March 26, 2022.

Local athletes (aged 14-24) are encouraged to register at RBCTrainingground.ca and have the chance to meet and show their core speed, power, strength and endurance to Olympic talent scouts from nine different sports.

The Saskatchewan event is one of 14 happening across the country this Spring.

Over the past seven years the program has identified several Saskatchewan athletes as having high potential, many in sports they’d never considered.

In 2018 Kerrobert’s Kayden Johnson was recruited to Bobsleigh Canada through the program. He is now a member of Bobsleigh Canada’s next gen team.

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National Sport Organization program partners in 2022 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.

Since its inception in 2016, the program has tested 10,000 athletes across Canada, with over 1,300 athletes being identified by National Sport Organizations as having Olympic potential (many in a sport they had never considered). Seven of these athletes medalled at the recent Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Games, including Track Cycling Gold Medalist Kelsey Mitchell and Freestyle Aerialist Marion Thenault.

“RBC Training Ground is designed to help identify and support the next generation of Olympic talents, and provide athletes with the high-performance sport resources needed to achieve their podium dreams,” said Evan MacInnis, Technical Director, RBC Training Ground. “While some participants are looking to re-energize or boost an Olympic dream in a sport they are already pursuing, 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 and determination to attract the attention of our sport partners and are excited to see where this program can take them.”

“We encourage any athlete in Saskatchewan with an Olympic dream to join us on March 26. Our experts will let them know what Olympic sports they are best suited for, and there really is nothing to lose by giving it a shot.”

In addition to in-person events, RBC Training Ground is conducting Virtual Testing that gives athletes all across Canada the opportunity to participate in the program.