I was a gymnast for 13 years before pivoting to a new sport. I tried everything from track to soccer and nothing really stuck until a friend from my high school wrestling team convinced me to try out for rugby. That first practice, I fell in love with the sport. And years later, it took me to the Olympic Games.

You too can help athletes get to the Olympic Games in the sport that they love, by donating today.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games was an amazing experience and a beautiful way to celebrate my ten years representing Canada. Our Rugby Sevens team won a historic silver medal in Paris, our best-ever Olympic performance. Winning our semifinal against Australia was an incredible feeling. There was still work to be done, but at the end of the match, we knew we had clinched an Olympic medal – a first for many of my teammates.

As the final seconds ticked down, I felt so much pride for this team. Proud of how hard we worked for the last three years. Proud of what we accomplished together. I still struggle to put into words how powerful that moment was. Even thinking about it now gives me goosebumps.

These are the moments we work for and cherish. And donors play a huge role in the process. Honestly, our survival as high performance athletes depends on your support. Every dollar we receive affords us the time to dedicate ourselves to our sport.

We train full days – Monday to Friday, from 8AM until 4PM. Then comes recovery, nutrition, and reviewing film. Even after all that, multiple times throughout my career, I have had to head to work a night shift to fund my Olympic dreams. So when we receive funding, it means we have more time to focus on our careers as athletes, preparing to be in peak form. That way we can compete in tournament after tournament, year after year, working towards the pinnacle – the Olympic Games – and proudly representing Canada.

Donor support reminds us that there is a bigger team behind us. Every donation counts.

Even as part of a team, you can sometimes feel like it is you against the world. So when donations come in, we feel supported and know that Canadians are thinking about us and recognize the hard work we put in every single day. It is one of the things that connects us as Canadians and as humans, and I think that is really special.

Please consider a donation to Team Canada today and help us continue to compete at our best, and generate the moments and memories to inspire Canadians and motivate future generations of Olympians.

Sincerely,

Charity Williams
Rugby
Two-time Olympic medallist 

Clarke remembers how she felt when she got to the finish line, crying tears of joy with her family and later watching them sing the national anthem while she stood on the podium. And upon arrival back to Canada, she celebrated with her community in Brighton, Ontario.

While she now has her sights set on the podium at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Clarke says that winning the championship has been her biggest achievement so far — not because of the trophy, but because of what it meant to her support system and community.

To support Clarke in reaching her full potential and achieving her Olympic dreams, the athlete has been named one of the recipients of the Canadian Olympic Foundation’s 2024 Murphy Family Award.

The Murphy Family Award, established by Glenn and Stacey Murphy in 2021, provides financial support to promising Team Canada athletes, enabling them to dedicate additional time and energy to their training and helping to offset high costs of equipment, training, and basic living expenses.

“I can’t thank the Murphy Family and the Canadian Olympic Foundation enough for helping me reach my goal of representing Canada at the Olympic Games!” Clarke says. “I’m going to do everything I can to make you, and all the Canadians back home, proud.”

Recipients of the Murphy Family Award are athletes with a strong likelihood of representing Team Canada at an upcoming Olympic Games. Also among the 2024 recipients are Beijing 2022 Olympic bobsledder Cynthia Appiah and ski jumper Nicole Maurer.

“This season, we’ve faced unprecedented expenses in pursuit of our Olympic dreams, which has been truly challenging. However, our grit and determination remain strong,” Appiah says. “It’s a blessing to experience Canadians helping one another, and the Murphy Family Award shows us that Canadians believe in our journey.”

Nicole Maurer trains in her sport in Slovenia, where her coaches and training facilities are based, and studies computer science and astrophysics online at the University of Calgary.

“I’m receiving the Murphy Award at a turbulent point in my sporting career. Due to financial struggles, I was unsure of whether or not I would be able to return for the next jumping season,” Maurer says. “This award helps me feel secure to continue training and competing, while alleviating external stress and pressure. It is incredible to know that there are so many people who are willing to support me in my career and dreams.”

Maurer adds that the Murphy Family Award will allow her to live under stable conditions and invest in the quality equipment needed to enhance her performance.

The Canadian Olympic Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 Murphy Family Award recipients:

Cynthia Appiah, Bobsleigh (Toronto, ON)

Hallie Clarke, Skeleton (Brighton, ON)

Dylan Deschamps, Freestyle Skiing (Quebec, QC)

Trinity Ellis, Luge (Pemberton, BC)

Liliane Gagnon, Cross Country Skiing (Quebec, QC)

Dillan Glennie, Freestyle Skiing (Courtenay, BC)

Elizabeth Hosking, Snowboard (Longeuil, QC)

Nicole Maurer, Ski Jumping (Calgary, AB)

Alexa Scott, Speed Skating (Clandeboye, MB)

Cameron Spalding, Snowboard (Havelock, ON)

Each Team Canada medallist from Paris 2024 has received $5,000 per medal earned through the Team Canada Podium Awards and $13,210 each from the Tania Esakin Fund.

“For a Team Canada athlete, donor support means everything. It is an incredible honour to train for years, represent our country at the Olympic Games and be able to bring a medal home for Canada was amazing,” said Kristen Kit, Team Canada Olympic rower and Paris 2024 silver medallist. “At the end of the day though, knowing that you made your fellow Canadians proud and that all your work meant something to them, is what makes it all worth it. I cannot thank the Malaviya Foundation and the Esakin family enough for their support.”

The Team Canada Podium Award has been granted to Team Canada medallists since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, totaling almost $1.6 million to date, and will continue through the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. In addition, the Malaviya Foundation has also donated $200,000  to Olympic and Paralympic Next Generation Initiatives, to support up and coming Canadian athletes.

“As we reflect on Paris 2024 and look ahead to Milano Cortina 2026, we are immensely grateful for the Malaviya Foundation’s continued leadership, in celebration of the excellence that Canadian athletes continue to demonstrate on the world stage.” said Jacqueline Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Olympic Foundation and Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Sanjay Malaviya, the Canadian healthcare tech entrepreneur and founder of the Malaviya Foundation, says Team Canada inspires the nation in countless ways.

“Canadian sport has the power to strengthen and bring communities together. It’s a privilege to celebrate the successes at Paris 2024, and to support the athletes who have made the country proud,” he said.

The distributed grants also came from the Tania Esakin Fund, established through an estate gift to the Canadian Olympic Foundation from Cecile  Esakin. At his wishes, the fund was divided equally among Canadian medallists from Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024. 

Find out more about how you can support Team Canada athletes here.

In addition to donor funding, $815,000 has been granted to Team Canada Paris 2024 medallists from the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Athlete Excellence Fund, bringing the combined total to $1.75 million in funding support to these podium athletes. The Athlete Excellence Fund is a support and reward program that provides Canadian athletes with performance awards of $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000 for winning Olympic gold, silver or bronze medals respectively. It also provides funding of $5,000 for performances at World Championships (or equivalent) during non-Olympic years, to support living, training, and competition expenses.

Donating to the Canadian Olympic Foundation helps to provide crucial resources, training opportunities, and support systems for Team Canada athletes. These investments enable them to overcome challenges, fulfill their potential, and proudly represent Canada on the international stage.

The COF is proud to share that, thanks to the generosity of donors, 74% of Team Canada medallists at Paris 2024 have been supported by the Canadian Olympic Foundation in the last five years. Since 2016, the COF has supported over 3,600 athletes on their Olympic journeys. 

Donate below to the Canadian Olympic Foundation and be the power behind Team Canada athletes’ potential.

In May 2024 in Hungary, Kacie Bosch, Katherine and Michelle Plouffe and I defeated the hometown team in a must-win game, making history as Canada’s first ever 3X3 Basketball team to qualify for the Olympic Games. It is a dream come true.

Throughout our journey, donor support has created so many opportunities. It removes barriers. It makes playing possible. It is priceless.

You can continue to make a difference as we pursue our Olympic dreams and beyond with a donation today.

In 2018, after having my daughter, Poppy, I decided to step away from the 5X5 game, and around that time, Katherine and Michelle did the same. When the IOC announced that 3X3 would make its’ Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, we saw our chance. Our vision of playing in the Olympic Games, of representing Canada in 3X3 basketball, was within reach.

We formed a team and immediately we just clicked. We spent the summer of 2019 travelling the world, playing in a series of tournaments, and earning ranking points. We paid our own way, organized our own travel, and finished the season ranked 18th in the world. A quirky FIBA rule kept us from being able to enter the Olympic qualifier for Tokyo 2020 but it was an incredible summer and we were not deterred. We knew it was not sustainable for us to continue to self-fund our Olympic dream.

As the sport became more established, Canada Basketball offered support and on a personal front, I received one of the Canadian Olympic Foundation’s Murphy Family Awards in 2023. As a single parent, I work two full-time jobs to continue to play and keep a roof over our heads. Receiving direct funding allowed me to continue competing.

I now am so proud to be representing Canada in women’s 3X3 basketball at the Olympic Games. 3X3 has this amazing feel. It is fun and fastpaced. The 10-minute games are played on a half-court with both teams attacking and defending the same hoop. With the furious action on court and a DJ courtside, the atmosphere is electric but the smaller venue means a more intimate experience for the fans. One thing I love most about 3X3 – anyone can play. You just need to grab a few friends, a basketball, and get to your local hoop.

The interest in 3X3 aligns with the burgeoning popularity of women’s basketball in general. I am so proud to be a part of this evolution. Seeing so many fans invested, excited about the game, and supporting women’s sport, is incredible. We are thrilled to have qualified for Paris 2024.

When we arrive in Paris this summer, we will be in peak form and ready to take on the world. And get ready to cheer us on as the countdown for Paris 2024 begins in earnest.

Sincerely,

Canadian figure skater and Olympic medallist, Toller Cranston, was a pioneer for creativity and freedom of expression in figure skating around the world. His legacy is tangible in the constant innovation in choreography of young skaters who have grown up looking up to him, today. 

Cranston’s impact on the next generation of skaters extends past the rink, through the Toller Cranston Memorial Fund and the Toller Cranston Memorial Award, which provide financial support to youth who hold the same artistic qualities as the Olympian. 

“Thank you so much for the nomination! I am very grateful for it, and I will continue to make Toller proud with my performance skills!” said Team Canada NextGen figure skater Lulu Lin.

Lin holds the Canadian junior national title, after winning in her category at the 2024 Canadian National Skating Championships and placing in the Top 10 at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships earlier this year. 

“Toller Cranston was such an incredible artist and an inspiration to so many skaters,” said Jake Ellis, a fellow NextGen skater and recipient of the 2024 award. “I will continue to skate with my heart and explore new and creative ways to express myself on the ice. Thank you for your continued support!”

The Canadian Olympic Foundation, along with Skate Canada, is proud to announce the full list of 2024 Toller Cranston Memorial Fund Athlete Award winners:

The Toller Cranston Memorial Fund was established in 2015 and 2024 marks the eighth group of award recipients. 

The Toller Cranston Awards are funded entirely through donor generosity. The Canadian Olympic Foundation and Skate Canada would also like to thank Jackson Ultima Skates, Jerry’s Skating World and Riedell Skates for supplying boots and blades to select recipients where the need was identified.

Find out how you can fuel athletes’ pathways to the podium and be part of Team Canada by donating today.

74% of Team Canada athletes who medalled have received support from the Canadian Olympic Foundation thanks to the generosity of donors across the country.

Despite our best efforts, many Team Canada athletes don’t have all the funding they need, to cover everything from training, coaching, mental health supports, competition costs, or equipment. 

Team Canada’s achievements at Paris 2024 are a testament to the impact of donor support. Donor investment in an athlete’s Olympic journey provides the key resources needed to propel them over the finish line – and inspire our nation.

Congratulations to the entire Canadian Olympic team, including the #Paris2024 medallists who have received support from the COF thanks to donors:

• Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, and Brendon Rodney, men’s 4x100m relay (GOLD), Tokyo 2020 Malaviya Award (2021)

• Camryn Rogers, women’s hammer throw (GOLD), Great to Gold program (2024)

• Ethan Katzberg, men’s hammer throw (GOLD), Great to Gold program (2024)

• Katie Vincent and Sloan MacKenzie, women’s C-2 500m canoe sprint (BRONZE), women’s C-1 200m canoe sprint (GOLD) (Katie), Murphy Family Award (2023)(Katie), Great to Gold program (2024), NextGen athlete (2022) (Sloan)

• Josh Liendo, men’s 100m butterfly (SILVER), NextGen athlete (2018-2022), 2024 Great to Gold program (2024)

• Maude Charron, women’s 59kg weightlifting (SILVER), Tokyo 2020 Malaviya Award (2021), Murphy Family Award (2023)

• Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, women’s beach volleyball (SILVER), Murphy Family Award (2021)(Melissa), Great to Gold program (2024)

• The women’s eight rowing team (Abby Dent, Caileigh Filmer, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Kristen Kit, Maya Meschkuleit, Sydney Payne, Jessica Sevick, Kristina Walker, Avalon Wasteneys) (SILVER), Great to Gold program (2024)

• The women’s rugby sevens team (Olivia Apps, Fancy Bermudez, Alysha Corrigan, Caroline Crossley, Chloe Daniels, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Piper Logan, Carissa Norsten, Taylor Perry, Krissy Scurfield, Florence Symonds, Shalaya Valenzuela, Keyara Wardley, Charity Williams) (SILVER) Great to Gold program (2024)

• Eleanor Harvey, women’s fencing individual foil (BRONZE), Murphy Family Award (2023) and Great to Gold program (2024)

• Felix Auger-Alliasime, tennis mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski (BRONZE), NextGen athlete (2017-2019)

• Kylie Masse, women’s 200m backstroke (BRONZE), Tokyo 2020 Malaviya Award (2021)

• Nathan Zsombor-Murray and Rylan Wiens, men’s synchronized 10m platform diving (BRONZE), Bursary Program for Quebec Olympic Athletes (2024) (Nathan), NextGen athlete (2017-2022) (Rylan)

• Skylar Park, women’s 57kg taekwondo (BRONZE), Murphy Family Award (2021,2022) , Great to Gold program (2024)

• Sophiane Methot,women’s trampoline (BRONZE), Great to Gold program (2024)

• Wyatt Sanford, men’s 63.5kg boxing (BRONZE), Great to Gold program (2024)

Every Team Canada Paris 2024 medallist will receive a Team Canada Podium Award of $5,000 per medal earned, funded by the Malaviya Foundation. In addition, they will receive a portion of the Tania Esakin Fund.

And as far as endless possibilities go, Petanqui is determined to take boxing as far as he can, with his sights set on representing Canada on the world’s largest stage, the Olympic Games.

“Looking ahead, I’m most excited about reaching new heights in my performance and competing at the highest levels. Each season presents new challenges and opportunities for growth, and I can’t wait to see how far I can push my limits,” says Petanqui.

As a 2024 recipient of the Canadian Olympic Foundation’s Future Olympians Fund (FOF) Award, Petanqui has been granted financial support to help him achieve his goals.

The FOF Award dedicates resources toward Next Gen athletes and their coaches, to support high-level athlete-coach relationships to propel the next generation of Olympians and their coaches forward on the pathway to the podium. 

“The FOF Award will be instrumental in providing the resources I need to train and compete effectively. It will help cover the costs of high-quality equipment, travel to competitions, and access to specialized coaching,” said Petanqui.

Petanqui’s coaches, Vincent Auclair and Samir El Mais, also receive support from the award, which grants athlete and coach recipients with $5,000 each for two years. In the past 10 years, 54 coaches and 48 athletes have benefited from the fund. 

“My relationship with my coaches is fundamental to my success. Their guidance, encouragement, and expertise have been crucial in my development as an athlete. I’m incredibly grateful for their support and look forward to continuing to grow under their mentorship.”

In past years, Future Olympians Fund resources have also been used to provide coaching development opportunities, employ and retain more full-time high-performance coaches. 

Athletes can use the award funds to support their high-performance training expenses such as equipment and development costs to propel forward in pursuit of their Olympic dreams. 

Some young athletes are already on track to compete in their first Olympic Games. Skateboarder Fay De Fazio Ebert has been named to the Canadian Olympic team competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer, and snowboarder Anthony Shelly and freestyle skier Charlie Beatty both attended, and medalled, at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games last winter. Petanqui has also represented Canada, at the Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games in boxing.

Congratulations to the 2024 FOF Award athlete and coach recipients!

As a member of the Canadian men’s gymnastics squad, 2023 was a historic year. In October, my teammates and I qualified a full gymnastics team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for the first time in 16 years. Qualifying was such a peak for us as a team
and it has given me time to reflect.

At a very young age, I played team sports like hockey and soccer. My mother, a former gymnast, suggested gymnastics might be a good match for my excessive energy. Accepting the challenge, I started in gymnastics and it automatically clicked. The combination of physical and mental challenges was exactly what I needed. That feeling of flying around and soaring into space was unique and powerful. I was hooked.

Around age 10, I had a breakthrough when I went to my first Quebec Games and recorded solid results even though I was the youngest gymnast competing. My coach encouraged me to dream big and reach for the top. To me, the top is the Olympic Games.

And my dream is about to come true.

Support from donors gives us that extra push and the confidence heading into the final few months of preparations. Please consider a donation today to help those of us with our sights set on Paris 2024.

Growing up in Quebec, I always felt the support of people around me: my parents, Laval Excellence (my club), and the Quebec Gymnastics Federation. Excelling in gymnastics requires resources: you need a club membership, travel to competitions, and an experienced coach. Everything adds up, and my family and I experienced some challenging times.

Any support I received made a tremendous difference in my results and helped me fulfill my potential.

Donor support is so important, especially for young, developing athletes. When you are a teen, when you are striving to evolve into a high-performance athlete and you don’t necessarily have big results yet, that is when you need to work as hard as you can. Everything becomes more challenging, not only financially, but also physically and mentally. This development phase is a pivotal time in an athlete’s career. It can build your resilience and mold you into the champion you want to be. Or it can break you.

When Canadians show their support for Team Canada, our confidence grows. Self-belief has been my mindset since I was young and decided that I wanted to be part of the Olympic Games. My whole life, I was often the underdog. I was the youngest. I was the smallest. But I never let that affect me. I was very confident in my abilities and I think when you can dream it, when you can visualize what you want, it becomes obtainable. You can do it. And don’t let anything or anybody tell you otherwise.

Following our Olympic qualification, the team competed at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games which was an amazing experience. We finished the competition with a silver medal in the team event and seven individual medals (3 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze). All the positive energy, experience, and excitement from that event continues to inspire us as we prepare for Paris 2024, and everything else that is sure to come our way this season.

When we compete, we feel the pride and support from people across the country. But that moment in the spotlight is just the tip of the iceberg. When I am up on floor, we are talking about 1 minute and 20 seconds of routine. Behind that minute is 16 years of intense training, overcoming challenges, and dedication. That minute you see broadcasted is simply the demonstration of the hard work, but the time we have invested to get there, that is where we need your help.

Please consider supporting Team Canada today and be sure to follow us in Paris this summer!

This season will be monumental. We will be ready and we welcome the challenge. We will shoot for the stars. And if Paris 2024 is anything like Santiago 2023, it will be an Olympic Games to remember.

Sincerely,

Félix Dolci
Artistic Gymnastics
Pan American Games Gold Medallist

Zsombor-Murray, who will be 21 years old this April, says he has been making this commute for nearly a decade, since he was in seventh grade.

“I remember in high school, I would finish school at 12 and then I would rush out of class five to ten minutes later to catch a bus, which went to a metro, and then the metro went to the stadium,” Zsombor-Murray says.

“The hours I spend commuting are hours that I’m spending away from recovery, preparing lunches for the next day, doing homework or getting to bed earlier.”

This year, however, Zsombor-Murray believes he finally has the financial freedom to comfortably move to the city on his own, as one of five recipients selected to be awarded funding through the Bursary Program for Quebec Olympic Athletes, the Canadian Olympic Foundation’s new award program. 

Established through a $500,000 gift from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, the program is designed to offer financial relief to athletes from Quebec and aims to help offset the rising costs of training and competition as they strive to represent Canada on the world stage at Paris 2024, Milano-Cortina 2026, and beyond. 

Recipients will receive $20,000 each year, renewable for up to five years.

Living closer to his training centre and school campus, Zsombor-Murray says, allows him to spend time focusing on his sport, along with other aspects of his life.

The five athletes that have been selected to receive the inaugural bursary are:

Éliot Grondin, Snowboard (Sainte-Marie, Que.)

Sophia Jensen, Canoe-Kayak (Chelsea, Que.)

Marion Thénault, Freestyle Skiing (Sherbrooke, Que.)

Tammara Thibeault, Boxing (Shawinigan, Que.)

Nathan Zsombor-Murray, Diving (Pointe-Claire, Que.)

“I’m extremely honored and humbled by this donation, which would be contributing directly to my success. The donor has now sort of become a part of my journey,” Zsombor-Murray says.

“When I was told I had been chosen for the bursary program, I called my mom and started crying,” said sprint canoer Sophia Jensen. 

“In my sport, we don’t get the funding needed for all that we do, especially having our national team training centre based in Nova Scotia when I’m from Quebec. It means so much to me to have financial stress relieved to just focus on my sport and the Olympic dream.”

The program is open to both winter and summer athletes, and recipients were selected based on dedication to high-performance excellence, previous Olympic participation, Olympic potential, and the impact this bursary will have on the athlete’s financial ability to compete on the world stage. 

Zsombor-Murray, has qualified to represent Team Canada this summer at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, along with fellow recipient and Olympian, Tammara Thibeault. Sprint canoer and bursary recipient Sophia Jensen has also qualified a spot for Canada in her respective event. 

“Quebec has a rich sport and Olympic heritage, and there are so many inspiring athletes from this province competing for Team Canada,” said Eric Myles, Chief Sport Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee. 

“We’re so grateful to this donor who believes in sport, and understands that their support will make a huge difference to Quebec athletes on their journey to the Olympic Games – not just on the field of play, but on their quality of life as an athlete and on the influence they will have on young people.”

When you invest in an athlete’s journey, you provide key resources needed to propel them over the finish line – and inspire a nation. Join Team Canada today.