A hunt for future Olympians is coming to Victoria.
RBC Training Ground – a nationwide talent-search program created to identify young athletes with Olympic potential – will host an event at UVic on March 25.
The gathering will test athletes’ core physical metrics, including strength, endurance and power. Athletes identified through the program will receive funding, resources and connections to national sports organizations to help them pursue their Olympic dreams.
Similar events will take place in Kelowna on Feb. 16 and Vancouver on March 9.
“British Columbia has always been a hub for athletic talent,” said Andrew Latham, the manager of performance pathways at the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. “We are thrilled to bring RBC Training Ground to communities across the province and support athletes in unlocking their full potential.”
From some 2,500 participants, four Island athletes secured Olympic-development funding at last year's Training Ground events.
Megan Sampson initially participated in RBC Training Ground to boost her rugby career, but instead was scouted by luge coaches.
“I was really surprised,” she said. “They spotted something in the testing, and now I’m really enjoying it. This funding will help me get into it even more.”
Katja Verkerk also secured funding.
“I was able to try track cycling, a sport I'd had an interest in but didn’t really know how to start," she said. "The program made it easy to try out and financially accessible with low program costs and free rental bike use.”
Event registration opens online on Feb. 25 at: rbctrainingground.ca/sign-up/.
