Darren Calabrese/COC

7th Edition of Canadian Olympic Foundation’s Future Olympians Fund Award Recipients Unveiled

Canadian Next Gen boxer Junior Petanqui says the biggest lesson that his sport has taught him thus far is that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible if you believe in yourself. 

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!