TORONTO — Fifty-five Canadian athlete-coach pairs have been selected for 2026 grants through Petro-Canada’s Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence program.

Each pair will receive $10,000, divided equally between the athlete and coach. Together, the 2026 awards amount to $550,000 for training, equipment, education and travel.

Support targets athletes below government-funding level

National sport organizations nominate the pairs. The program is aimed at athletes considered potential future members of Team Canada who do not yet qualify for government funding.

The Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Coaching Association of Canada and Petro-Canada announced the recipients Wednesday. They said the program has provided more than $15 million to over 3,500 athletes and coaches since 1988.

Class includes climbing and figure-skating prospects

The 2026 group includes climber Oscar Baudrand and coach Olivier Dorion-Theriault. Baudrand, who competed at the 2023 Pan American Games, recorded a career-best seventh-place boulder finish at a World Climbing Series event in Madrid this year.

Figure skater Lia Cho and coach Scott Davis are also among the recipients. Team Canada says Cho won consecutive Canadian junior titles in 2025 and 2026 and earned bronze in her Junior Grand Prix debut in September.

The grants provide development support; they do not guarantee selection for an Olympic or Paralympic team. The complete recipient list is available through Team Canada’s announcement.

Sources

Lead image: Flag of Canada via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Illustrative image.