Monday Funding Update

I was cleaning out a few folders on my computer's desktop today when I came across the image to the left. That's former MoDo defender Erica Rieder showing her stuff at the RBC Training Ground as she aims high for the Paris Olympiad in 2024. Erica, to get you caught up, retired from hockey to take up cycling, another passion of hers, with the hopes of representing Canada in 2024 or 2028. That would mean a lot of time training, and that costs money. That brings us to RBC's contributions for Olympic hopefuls at the RBC Training Ground!

RBC narrowed down the 1500 entries who applied for support to 100 finalists. Erica was one of those finalists who made the cut!
Clearly, Erica's passion for cycling has her in a good position when it comes to potentially receiving RBC's support. She's already been a high-performance athlete in hockey where she won a National Championship, led her team as captain to a second National Championship tournament, and played professionally in one of the world's best women's leagues. Moving to a new sport that she already loves should give her an advantage over her competition!

I mentioned this last month, so I'll repeat it here again. Erica's family lives in Regina, sand she needed to make the trek back to Winnipeg to begin preparing for her final season of Canada West hockey. Most players would simply pack up the car and make the trip east, but not Erica. Instead, she and her dad hopped on their bikes and cycled all the way from Regina to Winnipeg a week before camp started! Saying Erica was in the best shape of her life before her final season might be an understatement, but there was no doubt that she was ready for prime time once she arrived at camp!

Of course, stories mean nothing when it comes to metrics and times in Olympic testing where 0.01 seconds can be the difference between standing on the podium and going home empty-handed. This is where the training and time spent on the track pays off, so there were fingers crossed last week as I watched the announcement on TSN that Erica Rieder would be one of those athletes whose hard work and training paid off with the news that she was receiving RBC support.

From RBC's release, "We are proud to announce the Top 30 Future Olympians who will receive continued funding and support as they chase their dreams of representing Team Canada. Athletes will receive access to funding, Olympian mentorship and National Sport Organization support towards their Olympic dreams."

One of those names?

I'm extremely proud of Erica for qualifying for RBC's support, and it was reinforced after learning about the costs involved that Olympic cyclists incur when chasing their dreams, something us fans often forget to factor in when it comes to winning medals.

Jenny Trew, the Lead NextGen track coach at Cycling Canada, told CTV's Meghan Collie, "One of the biggest expenses in cycling is the equipment. An entry-level bicycle would probably be $2,500, all the way up to $6,000 and upwards. Coaching runs anywhere from $100 to $200 per hour, plus a gym membership and a strength and conditioning coach on top of that."

Trew also highlighted the challenges that older athletes face, stating, "When athletes are in their early to mid-twenties and they no longer have the support of their parents, they have to start making decisions about spending money. Do I spend money on a car so I can drive around or am I going to spend money on my cycling training? Not having to make those trade-offs and really being able to focus on being an athlete is a huge leg up."

Erica will now get that leg up, so to speak, as well as "Olympian mentorship and National Sport Organization support" for her dream of representing Canada at the Olympics in sport of Olympic track cycling. Personally, I think she's going to Paris in 2024 to represent Canada at the Summer Olympiad just as she went to Almaty, Kazakhstan to represent her country at the 2017 FISU Universiade Games in hockey. I cheered for her then, and I'll be cheering for her in 2024 when she blows away the competition in Paris.

No matter what place she finishes in, this hockey fan needs no convincing that she's a champion on skates and on the bike.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!