AthletesCAN  – OTTAWA (June 14, 2016) – AthletesCAN and Investors Group are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2016 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund bursary.

In keeping with their commitment to amateur sport in Canada, Investors Group established a bursary fund for Canada’s top high performance athletes. A national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians, Investors Group annually awards twenty $5,000 bursaries to assist Canada’s elite amateur athletes with the costs of training and competition. Selection criteria includes: athletic achievement, financial need and community involvement.

Since its inception in 2000, the Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund has provided more than $1.6 million to Canadian athletes.  AthletesCAN administers the bursary on behalf of Investors Group.

“Investors Group considers it an honour to help support our nation’s elite athletes with these bursaries,” says Trevor Krahn, Manager, Community Affairs for Investors Group. “Athletes at this level are constantly juggling the demands of work and school with training and competition. For 16 years now, we have been pleased to provide Canada’s athletes with bursaries totalling $1.6 million to make those demands easier to manage so they can get more out of life.”

In 2015, 2-time Olympian & 2014 Commonwealth Games Champion swimmer Audrey Lacroix and 2012 Olympic triathlete Kyle Jones were two of 20 recipients to earn the Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary of $5,000 through AthletesCAN.

“The Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary was an invaluable help to me in securing my qualification for the 2016 Games in Rio. This bursary allowed me to prepare for the Olympics without making compromises while maintaining focus on my training and performances”, says Audrey.  “The life of a high performance athlete sometimes involves difficult choices but, thanks to Investors Group and AthletesCAN, I was able to make the best decisions pertaining to my performances without being restricted in my options by financial matters”, she adds.  “It’s also noteworthy that this bursary is awarded in connection with an athlete’s social engagement and his/her desire to give back to the community, thus rewarding athletes who contribute to society and inspire people beyond their sport.”

“Chasing a big goal like the Olympics comes with big challenges and the road to success is often long and arduous,” says Kyle.  “As an athlete you have to commit to the process, work hard, and never stop believing. When organizations like Investors Group and AthletesCAN step up and share your vision and passion for achieving excellence and invest in you, anything is possible. I’ve been extremely fortunate to be a recipient of the Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund for the last two years leading up to the Rio 2016 Games  and I can’t thank them enough for their generous contribution to my Olympic dream,” he adds.  “There are very few programs out there that put significant dollars directly in the hands of athletes. My sincere thanks goes out to all those involved in making this fund possible.”

AthletesCAN Executive Director, Ashley LaBrie adds: “AthletesCAN is proud to partner with Investors Group, one of Canada’s leading corporate contributors of direct funding to our country’s top high performance athletes.  As a champion of leadership on and off the field of play, Investors Group has recognized the athletic accomplishments, financial need and community involvement of Canadian athletes through the Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund for more 16 years.  On behalf of Canadian athletes, AthletesCAN applauds Investors Group for their continued leadership and support where it is needed most.” 

Congratulations to this year’s recipients who will continue to leave their mark on the Canadian sport landscape and inspire the next generation of champions across the country.

The 2016 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund bursary recipients are:

Joshua Binstock (Richmond Hill, ON) – Beach Volleyball

Kieran Block (Edmonton, AB) – Sledge Hockey

Andrea Burk (North Vancouver, BC) – Rugby

Adam Dukovich (Ottawa, ON) – Boccia

Ariane Fortin (Saint-Nicolas, Lévis, QC) – Boxing

Raphaël Gagné (Lac Beauport, QC) – Mountain Bike

Taryn Grant (Winnipeg, MB) – Water Ski

Byron Green (Courtenay, BC) – Wheelchair Rugby

Rachel Hannah (Guelph, ON) – Athletics

Cassie Hawrysh (Brandon, MB) – Skeleton

Rachel Homan (Ottawa, ON) – Curling

Danielle Lappage (Olds, AB) – Wrestling

Ness Murby (Salt Spring Island, BC) – Para Athletics

Victoria Nolan (Toronto, ON) – Para Rowing

Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, QC) – Softball

Ben Russell (Dartmouth, NS) – Sprint Canoe

Kelleigh Ryan (Ottawa, ON) – Fencing

Kirsten Sweetland (Whistler, BC) – Triathlon

Charley Thomas (Didsbury, AB) – Mixed Doubles Curling

Noemie Thomas (Richmond, BC) – Swimming

A special thanks to our selection committee members Greg Edgelow (Wrestling), Andrew Haley (Swimming), Trevor Hirschfield (Wheelchair Rugby), and Michelle Kelly (Skeleton).

For the full release click here.

About Investors Group

Investors Group, founded in 1926, is a national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians through a network of approximately 5,300 Consultants located throughout Canada. In addition to an exclusive family of mutual funds and other investment vehicles, Investors Group offers a wide range of insurance, securities, mortgage and other financial services.

About AthletesCAN
As the voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture.

For more information, please contact:

Ashley LaBrie
Executive Director
AthletesCAN
(613) 526-4025
alabrie@athletescan.com
www.athletescan.com