Two Muskoka region athletes were named this week as finalists in RBC Training Ground, the Canadian Olympic Committee’s official cross-country talent search.
Huntsville’s Tyler Gevaert, a 16-year-old slalom kayaker and Huntsville HS student, and Gravenhurst’s Will Nunnenmacher, a 15-year-old climbing athlete at Bracebridge Muskoka Lakes Secondary, were identified as having Olympic potential. They will now compete with the top 100 prospects from across the country in a series of physical tests to earn funding and an accelerated path to the Olympics.
“Tyler made a big performance gain throughout this past summer and secured a spot to compete in Men’s Canoe at the World Cup final in La Seu d’Urgell in Spain, and at the 2024 National Championships he won a silver medal,” said Emily MacKeigan, Senior Manager High Performance Operations. “He also did well in the RBC Training Ground testing, so we’re excited to see him get this chance to earn this support.”
Nunnenmacher competes in the relatively new Olympic sport of Speed Climbing.
“I was on the bus on my way back from school when I found out I’d made the final, said Nunnenmacher, whose home gym is Climb Muskoka. “My mom texted me a screenshot of the email saying that I made it. I jumped up from my seat started to dance and told all my friends. It felt amazing. As soon as I saw that I was accepted, a huge smile crept across my face and I felt that all my hard work is finally paying off.”
Nunnenmacher, who also trains twice per week with the performance team at Boulder Parc in Scarborough, will be one of the youngest competitors at the national final.
“Will caught our attention at the RBC Training Ground event in Whitby, and then had very promising in person testing results on the wall as well,” said Libor Hroza, National Coach with Climbing Canada. “He is the youngest male athlete who made our cut for this program, and we think he is at the perfect age to step up his game.”
Gevaert and Nunnenmacher were among 2,500 athletes (aged 14-25) from a wide range of sports who participated in free local qualifier events across the country, performing core speed, strength, power and endurance tests in front of Olympic talent scouts to either find the sport for which they are most suited, or earn a funding boost in their existing sport based on their raw physical abilities.
The top 100 deemed to have great Olympic potential will now compete in the RBC Training Ground national final on Saturday November 2, 2024 in Halifax Nova Scotia. Thirty athletes from the final will earn funding, a spot on Team Canada with one of twelve partner National Sport Organizations, and an accelerated path to the Olympics.
During RBC Training Ground National Final testing, athletes’ speed, power, strength, and endurance will again be tested against sport-specific, high-performance benchmarks under supervision of program sport partners. An athlete’s anthropomorphic measurements (height, wingspan, etc), sport-specific testing (conducted following the qualifier stage) and competitive sport history also play a role in who is selected for funding.
The finalists, who will have transportation hotel and food covered by RBC, will be joined at the Final by RBC Training Ground alumni and several Olympic medalists.
The 30 athletes selected for funding will be announced in the weeks following the final. The funding is administered by the participating National Sport Organization bringing the athlete into its system, and is used for things like coaching, transportation, travel, equipment, and nutrition. Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton, Canoe Kayak Canada, Climbing Canada, Cycling Canada, Freestyle Canada, Luge Canada, Rowing Canada, Rugby Canada, Speed Skating Canada, Volleyball Canada, Football (Flag) Canada, Squash Canada and Wrestling Canada – all looking to identify new talent for development.
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