Canadian Olympic Foundation
Canadian athletes celebrate HBC bursary program
Team Canada athletes have been celebrating the announcement of the HBC bursary on social media.
The bursary provides $10,000 a year directly to 50 athletes, in a $2.5 million program to help with funding over the next five years (full list of bursary recipients here). Here are a few of the bursary winners who took to social media to show their appreciation:
Dustin Cook
Alpine skier Dustin Cook started making World Cup podiums during the 2014-15 season and quickly rose up the rankings. Although he was out for the 2015-16 season with a knee injury, Cook is ready to come back and begin training.
Magali Harvey
Magali Harvey, former IRB Women’s Player of the Year and rugby sevens star for the national team, has finished strong this year as the squad gets ready for Rio 2016, which will see the debut of women’s rugby.
Taylor Henrich
Ski jumper Taylor Henrich competed in the debut of women’s ski jumping during Sochi 2014, and has since reached world cup podiums. In 2012, Henrich finished fifth at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
Matthew Sarmento
Matthew Sarmento from the men’s field hockey team is gearing up for Rio. Sarmento made his debut in 2011 and has more than 35 national caps. Canada will be competing in Olympic field hockey for the first time since 2008.
Conlin McCabe
Conlin McCabe won silver in rowing during London 2012 and won double gold at TO2015. McCabe, a Brockville, Ontario native, has a long family history of rowing, dating all the way back to 1906.
Kelsey Serwa
Ski cross star Kelsey Serwa won Olympic silver at Sochi 2014. Serwa has had a strong 2015-2016 season, winning gold at the Winter X Games and silver at a FIS World Cup event.
Travis Gerrits
The FIS Rookie of the Year in 2011, freestyle skiier Travis Gerrits won silver at the 2013 FIS World Championships. Gerrits finished seventh in his Olympic debut in 2014.
Christabel Nettey
Long jumper Christabel Nettey won gold in TO2015 and placed fourth in the 2015 world championships in Beijing.
Heather Bansley
Beach volleyball player Heather Bansley also received the bursary. Barnsley and her partner Sarah Pavan recently won bronze at the Moscow Grand Slam as they gear up for Rio 2016.
RELATED: Bansley and Pavan behind the scenes
Emily Overholt
Swimmer Emily Overholt is headed to Rio for her first Olympic games. Overholt was a medallist at the world championships and the 18-year-old will be among the youngest athletes going to the Games.
Kirsten Sweetland
One of Canada’s top triathletes, Kirsten Sweetland had a breakthrough year in 2014 and won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. Sweetland is looking to rebound from injuries and illness that plagued her in 2015.
Elizabeth Vathje
Skeleton racer Elisabeth Vathje won silver at the 2014 FITB World Junior Championship and a bronze at 2015 world championship. Vathje also had an impressive World Cup debut in 2014
