13-04-2025
N.B. athletes show up in record numbers for Olympic talent scouts
A record number of young athletes from across New Brunswick gravitated to Saint John this weekend, all searching for opportunity.
Enticed by the prospect of being recognized as a potential Olympian, 135 athletes – 71 male and 64 female competitors – from Saint Quentin to St. Stephen, descended on the Irving Oil Field House on Sunday to participate in the RBC Training Ground program.
The athletes, aged 14 to 25, were weighed, measured, and tested for speed, strength, jumping power, and endurance. More than 20 volunteers and RBC staff dutifully recorded their scores and prepared them for comparison against national benchmarks for each age and gender.
Ever present were the watchful eyes of 15 Winter and Summer Olympic sports organizations looking for new talent.
'It's all about hope and potential, and to me, the biggest identifier is the kids showing up,' said Evan MacInnis, national technical director for the RBC Training Ground program.
'You might not get the best score today, but you may have a conversation about playing a sport you hadn't thought of like flag football or rugby. We have coaches here from all those sports so the kids can talk with them and maybe give it a go,' said MacInnis, adding that the number of athletes in Saint John more than doubled the estimated 60 who attended a similar event in Fredericton in 2019.
The Saint John turnout was also above the 2025 national average of 110 athletes per RBC event.
Ava Reid, a triple sports threat from Oromocto, said she viewed the training ground as a 'no stress'' experience.
'I think it would be cool having come here and them saying we believe you are capable and then getting the chance to compete in another sport that I might never thought I could do,' said the 17-year-old Reid, who plays softball, volleyball and basketball.
This is the seventh time a training ground event has been held in New Brunswick: once in Moncton, twice in Saint John, and four times in Fredericton. The top 100 athletes from 20 qualifiers across Canada will advance to the national final. Up to 35 athletes will be selected to join the program and become eligible for RBC bursaries to offset expenses associated with training and competing.
'Many athletes don't start with an Olympic sport, but they get recognized and then train, so we'll see,' said 17-year-old Audree LeBlanc of Dieppe. 'I'm just excited to see my potential.'
Looking at a swath of blue RBC T-shirts adorning athletes on the field house turf, two-time Olympian and defending world indoor shot put champion Sarah Mitton sees plenty of potential.
The Liverpool, N.S., native, now an RBC Training Ground ambassador, understands what potential looks like, having 'found' her Olympic sport in Grade 8.
'This program has so many national sports organizations involved and such a strong history of taking someone really fast and athletic, who maybe played soccer and basketball, and putting them in rowing or cycling, something they are so suited for but never had the opportunity to try,' said Mitton, who in 2024 became the first Canadian women in 60 years to make the Olympic shot put final.
'All of a sudden, their athletic ability shines, and the chance to excel at a sport you never dreamed of changes your career trajectory.'
Shea Hickey had the trajectory of her rugby career take a turn in 2022 when she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The former Acadia University varsity player saw the RBC event as an opportunity to return to sports.
'I'm an athletic person, and I just want to see what my body can do. I'm finally at the end of my recovery from this injury, and I wanted to test myself.
'I'm pleased that I did this,' the 22-year-old Saint John native said, sweat dripping from her brow following her endurance test.
Since its inception in 2016, the RBC Training Ground program has helped 21 athletes earn a spot on Team Canada and win 14 Olympic medals. Sixteen training ground alumni were part of Canada's team at the 2024 Summer Olympics, winning seven medals, one gold and six silver.
Training ground alumnus Jerome Blake was a member of the 2024 men's relay team, capturing gold in the 4×100 metre final at the Paris Games.
