Athletes compete at the Olympic Games with almost the entire world watching them. But just as important — if not more so — is what they do afterwards, when the spotlight isn’t shining as brightly.
Many Team Canada Olympians have extended their legacy by developing incredibly impactful initiatives within their communities. The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) is proud to support 15 such projects this year with the fifth edition of the OLY Canada Legacy Grant.
This edition awarded a total of $100,000 across the 15 not-for-profit initiatives, each of which focuses on access to sport, safe sport, or sustainability in their communities. The selected projects fall into three categories:
Here’s a quick glimpse at this year’s grant recipients and the great work they’re doing:
Carol Huynh OLY – Wrestling – Beijing 2008, London 2012
Jill Moffatt OLY – Rowing – Tokyo 2020
“It feels amazing to receive the OLY Legacy Grant. This grant empowers us to effect tangible change for current Olympians and Paralympians, by addressing a crucial resource gap in the realm of family planning. We’ve come together across different sports and with differing experiences regarding motherhood, so it is exciting to pool our creativity, curiosity, and passion, together to create something special.” — Jill Moffatt
Jessica Tudos OLY – Artistic Gymnastics – Los Angeles 1984
Caroline Ouellette OLY – Ice Hockey – Salt Lake City 2002, Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014
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Phil Monckton OLY – Rowing – Montreal 1976, Los Angeles 1984
Brandon McBride OLY – Athletics – Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020
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“I am deeply honored to be a recipient of the OLY Grant. The support of the OLY Grant is not just a financial boost but a vote of confidence in our mission. This grant will enable us to expand our reach and deepen our impact, continuing to empower and uplift the youth in our community through our mentorship program. ” — Brandon McBride
Charles Hamelin OLY – Short Track Speed Skating – Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022
Laura Stacey OLY – Ice Hockey – PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022
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“After receiving this funding I am looking forward to growing our charity tournament and raising even more money in order to provide kids with the opportunity to get involved in sports, get outside, be active, and live a healthy active lifestyle. My sister and I were very fortunate to be able to play any sport we wanted to when we were growing up and having this funding allows us to now give back and give others who are not as fortunate that same opportunity!” — Laura Stacey
Cendrine Brown OLY – Cross-Country Skiing – PyeongChang 2018, Beijing 2022 and Laura Leclair OLY – Cross-Country Skiing – Beijing 2022
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Liam Gill OLY – Snowboard – Beijing 2022
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READ: Indigenous snowboarder Liam Gill makes life-changing impact on northern youth and himself through inspirational passion project
Ariane Bonhomme OLY – Track Cycling – Tokyo 2020
Mark Pearson OLY – Field Hockey – Beijing 2008, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020
“I feel very fortunate to have been awarded an OLY Legacy Grant for 2024. To have the support of the Canadian Olympic Committee is energizing and it will allow me to bring this project to life. I truly believe in the power of sport as a tool to bring Canadians and communities together and in the spirit and values of Olympism to inspire the next generation and I cannot wait to bring the Field of Dreams project to life this year.” — Mark Pearson
Kelleigh Ryan OLY – Fencing – Tokyo 2020
Julie-Anne Staehli OLY – Athletics – Tokyo 2020
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Marion Thénault OLY – Freestyle Skiing – Beijing 2022
The OLY Canada Legacy Grant is designed to reflect the three pillars of the Team Canada Impact Agenda – the COC’s commitment to making sport safe, inclusive and barrier-free so more young people can play and stay in sport. The organization has now provided a total of $345,000 in OLY Canada Legacy Grant funding since its inception in 2019.
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