Since its launch in 2016, RBC Training Ground has sent 28 athletes to the Olympic Games, 12 of whom have brought home 14 medals.SUPPLIED
Aerial freestyle skier Miha Fontaine was just 16 when he attended an RBC Training Ground event in 2019. During a series of athletic tests, the young athlete impressed scouts from Freestyle Canada – one of several National Sports Organizations who use RBC Training Ground as an important recruitment tool to discover their next Olympians.
The scouts recognized Fontaine’s potential for the gravity-defying sport, where skiers launch off a snow ramp and perform flips and twists in the air. He was awarded RBC Future Olympian status, giving him access to critical funding and developmental support from RBC to further refine his skills and one day compete on the international stage.
Flash forward to 2022, and Fontaine became one of the youngest competitors in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. There, he captured a bronze medal in a history-making feat: Canada’s first Olympic medal in any aerial event in 20 years. He did so alongside his teammate Marion Thénault – another athlete discovered by RBC Training Ground and someone who hadn’t even owned skis before the program connected her with the sport. Next month, Fontaine and Thénault will chase the podium once again at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.
Scouts recognized Miha Fontaine’s potential at an RBC Training Ground event, which led to him winning bronze at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.SUPPLIED
Fontaine and Thénault’s success stories are just two examples of how RBC has helped unlock Olympic dreams for Canadian athletes. Now entering its 11th year, the immense impact of RBC Training Ground is two-fold: providing Team Canada with a science-backed recruitment program and creating opportunities for thousands of young athletes aged 14 to 25 to pursue an Olympic dream.
“As a sponsor of Team Canada for nearly 80 years, we have been investing in young Canadian athletes for decades to ensure they have the resources they need to compete,” says Mary DePaoli, executive vice president and CMO of RBC. “In order to reach the podium, these athletes and National Sport Organizations need our support years before the medal-winning moment, which is why we created RBC Training Ground.”
She notes that while young Canadians have excellent athletic potential, many Olympic sports like freestyle skiing, bobsleigh and track cycling aren’t usually on the radar of the average high-school hockey or soccer player.
“We’re proud to not only empower today’s Olympians, but also to help find and train tomorrow’s stars to represent our country,” DePaoli says. “RBC Training Ground is a first of its kind and unlike any other sport identification program globally, and it will continue to make a remarkable impact on sport in Canada.”
Former hockey player Mike Evelyn O’Higgins discovered bobsleigh when he participated in an RBC Training Ground event in 2018.SUPPLIED
A critical talent pipeline
Since its launch in 2016, RBC Training Ground has helped realize the Olympic dreams of young Canadians, sending 28 athletes to the Olympic Games, 12 of whom have brought home 14 medals. For the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games, 11 RBC Training Ground graduates will be representing Team Canada. Additionally, RBC has awarded more than $4.5-million towards RBC Training Ground athletes since the program started.
Attending an RBC Training Ground event is completely free and is hosted in cities across Canada, including often overlooked regions. This year, RBC Training Ground will be visiting 20 Canadian cities that span across the country, from Whitehorse all the way to Halifax.
RBC Training Ground has discovered some of the best talent for National Sports Organizations and is a critical talent pipeline as they train Canada’s next Olympians, DePaoli says. Since the program’s inception, it has helped unlock the potential of over 20,000 young athletes, which she notes will only multiply over the next few years.
From left, RBC Training Ground Olympians Marion Thénault, Mike Evelyn O’Higgins, Miha Fontaine and Kelsey Mitchell.SUPPLIED
Mike Evelyn O’Higgins is another example of how RBC Training Ground exposes athletes to new sports. Evelyn O’Higgins was a young hockey player looking for a new athletic career when he participated in an RBC Training Ground event in 2018. There, he discovered that his hockey background and explosive sprinting skills made him an ideal bobsleigh athlete. Four years later, Evelyn O’Higgins competed for Team Canada in bobsleigh at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, where he finished in the top 10. He’s now ready for his second Olympic Games in Italy.
With additions like Evelyn O’Higgins, Canada’s bobsleigh team has seen significant success in recruiting through RBC Training Ground. One of its newest faces is Kelsey Mitchell – a former RBC Training Ground athlete who found a new sport, track cycling, and rode that all the way to become an Olympic champion. This year, Mitchell tried bobsleigh for the first time and she’s now set to become only the 14th Team Canada athlete to have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
Mitchell’s story is further proof of the power of potential, and what it can do when it meets the right opportunity – something RBC Training Ground has been all about for the past decade.
Changing lives for young Canadians
“We believe in the importance of championing sport at every level – from the young local athletes in our communities with raw, emerging talent to our Olympic medalists,” DePaoli says. “It’s deeply rewarding to see the impact that sports can make and we are committed to creating pathways for young athletes to perform at their best.”
She encourages young athletes who dream of competing in the Olympics to attend an RBC Training Ground event.
“Our Team Canada athletes inspire our nation and uplift us with their grit and determination, and we’re thrilled to see our RBC Training Ground graduates be part of Canada’s Olympic legacy.”
Young athletes can explore their Olympic potential by registering for a free RBC Training Ground across Canada. Visit rbctrainingground.ca for more details.
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with RBC. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.