What is the reason for Canada's latest surge in sports superstars?
Canadian athletes have been taking centre stage in sports that Canada isn't traditionally known for, CTV's Kamil Karamali has more on Canada's athletic boom.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Twin sisters in sync as Canada Games begin in St. John's
Social Sharing Twin sisters Madison and Taylor Buchanan are going to the Canada Games in Newfoundland and Labrador. Itzael Gaudet, another Team New Brunswick athlete, will play in two sports. Taylor and Madison are from Saint John and have been doing artistic swimming — formerly synchronized swimming — since they were eight. Now 16, they have been training and competing together for a long time and rely on each other for support. "Maddie is my best friend, like best friend from birth, and I think having her to swim with and go through … all the stress and all the competitions together, I think it's made me a better swimmer," Taylor said. The twins will be part of the team performances and will also perform two duets together. Taylor says they work well together in part because they're sisters and look so much alike. "I think it does give us a little bit of an advantage, especially with our duet, because the whole goal is to look alike and look similar and be in sync," she said. "When we're in the water together doing the same things and we're having a good swim, I feel like we just look very similar, and I think it looks really nice for the judges and for the people watching." Madison says sometimes they can't even tell the difference between each other. "Going back and watching videos, I'm like, 'is that me or Taylor?' It's hard to tell in the water, but it's pretty cool," Madison said. Gaudet is a two-sport athlete Gaudet is a swimmer and volleyball player. His schedules lined up perfectly. It's swimming in Week 1 with the 16-year-old from Moncton competing in the 50-metre freestyle, 100-metre freestyle, 50-metre butterfly and 100-metre backstroke. He'll play volleyball in Week 2. He didn't count on making both teams, but he knew it was possible because the schedules didn't conflict "Once I discovered that both sports were two different weeks, that was definitely a goal that I had set for myself," he said. Training for two Gaudet essentially has the training schedule of two athletes. "It got to a point where one day I'd have swim practice at 6 a.m. and then head to school," he said. "And right after school I'd have to make my way to the gym and work out for about an hour. After that, depending on the day of the week, I'd have to go straight to another swim practice or volleyball practice." The trip to Newfoundland is special for all three. It's Gaudet's first time there and he's excited for a new experience and an opportunity to meet new people. "I can't wait to visit a new province and I'm so excited to meet new people. Every province is going to be there. It's going to be awesome." Twins were their grandfather's 'duckies' The Buchanans have deep family roots there. Their mother grew up in Gander and went to university there. They still have a lot of family members in the province. It's also a sad time with the recent death of their grandfather, a Newfoundland native. He had plans to attend their events and had his flight booked to see his "duckies," as he called Madison and Taylor. He was always at the pool, cheering them loudly.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
'There's space for all of us in sport': Shahad Alouch represents N.S. at Canada Games
A Nova Scotia athlete is determined to break down barriers and showcase her culture at the 2025 Canada Summer Games underway in St. John's. Shahad Alouch, a 17-year-old wrestler from Chester, N.S., will be wearing a hijab as she competes in the games, which represent the highest level of national competition for young Canadian athletes. A hijab is a scarf worn by some Muslim women that covers their hair, neck and ears as a symbol of their faith. Alouch first discovered wrestling in Grade 8, when a gym teacher introduced her to the sport. "I didn't know what wrestling was," she said. After she tried a few moves, her coach encouraged her to join practices. Though family challenges initially kept her away at that time, she eventually returned, drawn to the unique nature of the sport. "It gave me motivation and dedication," she said. "You have to sacrifice, you have to give up on a lot of stuff.… It makes you mentally and physically strong." Alouch was born in Syria and raised in Turkey before immigrating to Canada with her family in 2019. Challenges to overcome She said wearing a hijab while wrestling is a challenge "most of the time" because few referees are familiar with how to deal with it. In one match, an opponent accidentally tugged at her hijab, leaving her shaken. "I totally forgot I had to wrestle because knowing someone is trying to take off your hijab … it's like me trying to take off her singlet," she said. With her coach's support, she now ensures referees and competitors understand the cultural and religious importance of her hijab before matches. Alouch said she is excited to be going to the Canada Games with her teammates to represent Nova Scotia and is focused on growth rather than just winning. She said her goal is to inspire others by showing that being from a different religion or culture should not deter them from participating in a sport that they love. "There's space for all of us in sport and I'm happy to be part of that message," she said. The Canada Summer Games run Aug. 8-25. The wrestling competition begins Aug. 21.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
These Team N.L. athletes are sharing their stories — and are ready to make their mark at the Canada Games
Team Newfoundland and Labrador is represented by 345 athletes, plus 81 coaches and managers, at the 2025 Canada Summer Games — each with their own story to tell over the next two weeks. Ahead of the Games, which runs from Aug. 8 to 25, CBC Video Producers Katie Breen and Danny Arsenault have highlighted the stories of athletes and teams looking to make their mark at the competition. You can watch all of the athlete and team features below: WATCH | Gavin Baggs is competing in swimming and track and field at his fourth Canada Games: Gavin Baggs is competing in his 4th Canada Games, with no signs of slowing down 19 days ago WATCH | Girls' baseball is making its Canada Games debut, and N.L. athletes are ready to shine: Girls' baseball is making its debut at the Canada Games, and Team N.L. is ready to shine 18 days ago The 2025 Canada Games will be a history maker in St. John's, marking the first time that girls' baseball will be included in the competition. Athletes and coaches say it's been a long time coming as the female game has exploded across the country. The CBC's Katie Breen and Danny Arsenault met up with the team to see what their preparation looks like. WATCH | Wrestler Luke MacPherson is following in his father's footsteps: Luke MacPherson wrestled his way to the Canada Games 15 days ago Luke MacPherson is keeping with the family tradition. The young wrestler will hit the mat during the 2025 Canada Games, just like his father did in 1987. WATCH | Meet the father-daughter duo who are key volunteers in the track and field community: Meet the father-daughter duo who are key volunteers in the track and field community for the Canada Games 12 days ago The Stenders have long been associated with track and field. Ahead of the 2025 Canada Games in St. John's next month, meet a dad and daughter who aren't slowing down when it comes to supporting athletes and the sport. WATCH | Diver Juan Diego Palma has faced challenges other athletes have not had to deal with: He's representing N.L. in diving, but training has been a hard go without the proper facilities 10 days ago Athletes know that training is crucial, but Team N.L. diver Juan Diego Palma has faced challenges that many other athletes have not had to deal with as they get ready to compete in the 2025 Canada Games. WATCH | Artistic Swimmers are ready to make a splash: These Canada Games artistic swimmers are confident and graceful above the water, and all power below 9 days ago Artistic swimming has always been a winter sport at the Canada Games. But it's moving to the summer edition for 2025. The Newfoundland and Labrador team is ready to go, despite some training woes. WATCH | High jumper Will Wallbourne is raising the bar in competition: High jumping is a slam dunk for this Team N.L. athlete 5 days ago Will Wallbourne landed a spot on Newfoundland and Labrador's Canada Games roster by raising the bar on a skill he already had. CBC NL caught up with this Fogo Island teen who has "calves like Popeye," as his coach says. WATCH | Maksym Volkov fled the war in Ukraine, and is ready to represent Team N.L.: He fled war in Ukraine. Now he's training athletes heading to the Canada Games 4 days ago At just 19 years old, Maksym Volkov is a wrestling champion who is now training athletes who are heading to the Canada Games for Team N.L. WATCH | Team N.L.'s first female lacrosse players are ready to hit the court hard: Team N.L.'s first female lacrosse players ready to hit Canada Games hard 2 days ago They're not afraid of physicality. Team N.L. is dressing its first female Canada Games lacrosse team and the girls plan to give it their all. CBC caught up with them at practice. WATCH | The A-A Team is setting sail: You're not hearing double – that's the girls sailing for Team N.L. 2 days ago They're the A-A team. Annika Philpott and Annaka Spracklin are representing Newfoundland and Labrador in sailing at the Canada Games. They're this province's first female 29er team and they're taking on the challenge with gusto.
