The Canadian Olympic Committee is hoping to find some hidden talent among young Okanagan athletes.
The organization is bringing its ‘RBC Training Ground’ to the UBC Okanagan campus on April 10. Olympic talent scouts, as well as Olympians such as freestyle skier Elena Gaskell and snowboarder Darren Gardner, will be on-site to see if any local athletes have what it takes to train for the Olympic level.
“RBC Training Ground is designed to help identify and support the next generation of Olympic talents, and provide athletes with the high-performance sport resources needed to achieve their podium dreams,” said Evan MacInnis, technical director of RBC Training Ground. “While some participants are looking to re-energize or boost an Olympic dream in a sport they are already pursuing, others participate with the hope of being discovered and directed toward an Olympic sport they may have never considered. But they all rely on raw athleticism and determination to attract the attention of our sport partners and are excited to see where this program can take them.”
Factors such as core speed, power, strength and endurance will be tested and evaluated among nine Olympic sports: skeleton, canoe and kayak, cycling, freestyle skiing, luge, rowing, rugby, speed skating, and volleyball.
In six years of running the program, seven graduates have gone on to reach the podium at the Olympic Games.
Anyone ages 14-24 is invited to register at www.rbctrainingground.ca or on-site. The event is free.
READ MORE: Strong performance expected for 2022 tourism in Kelowna
@JakeC_16
Jake.courtepatte@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our daily and subscribe to our daily newsletter.