RBC Training Ground 2025
Canadian athletes between the ages of 14 and 25 can be scouted by fifteen Team Canada sports for free, including Speed, Lead and Boulder Climbing.
Climbing Escalade Canada is excited to join the RBC Training Ground program in its 10th season! New for 2025, CEC will use the RBC Training Ground benchmark testing to identify talent in Lead, Speed and Boulder Climbing.
Developed in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Olympic Foundation and with support from the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network, RBC Training Ground is a nationwide talent identification program dedicated to finding and funding Canada’s future Olympians.
At each qualifying event, participants from various sports backgrounds perform speed, strength, power, and endurance benchmark testing in front of National Sport Organizations (NSO) partners. Following the National Final later this year, where 100 hopefuls will compete, the top 30 athletes will be selected as RBC Future Olympians to receive funding, mentorship, and other resources to pursue their Olympic dreams.
“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,” said Evan MacInnis, Technical Director for RBC Training Ground. “But they all rely on raw athleticism and determination to attract the attention of our sports partners and are excited to see where this program can take them.”
“For CEC, this is an outstanding opportunity to highlight talented athletes inside and outside of the climbing community,” said Kraig Devlin, High-Performance Director for Climbing Escalade Canada. “We have some amazing athletes in CEC who may benefit from greater exposure within CEC and getting in front of staff from other NSOs who are scouting talent.”
Since its inception in 2016, RBC Training Ground has tested well over 16,000 athletes ranging from 14 to 25 across Canada. More than 1,600 athletes were identified by National Sport Organizations as having Olympic potential—many in a sport they had never considered. To date, RBC Training Ground has helped 21 Canadian athletes reach their Team Canada dreams, with program alumni bringing home a total of 14 medals from 3 Olympic Games.
To many young athletes, the Olympics seem out of reach, the path is undefined, and they may feel their potential is going unnoticed. Together, we can ensure that no talent goes unseen, and no Olympic potential is left unrealized. CEC encourages all age-eligible members of the climbing community to sign up for and attend the Training Ground test events in their community and help shape the next generation of Team Canada talent.
For more information on the program, consult www.rbctrainingground.ca or contact Kraig Devlin at kraig@climbingcanada.ca
Ontario Dates
Oshawa
Sunday February 23, 2025
Ontario Tech University
Campus Recreation & Wellness Centre
2000 Simcoe Street North; Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5
7:00am
St. Catharines
Saturday March 15, 2025
Canada Games Park
2021 Canada Games Wy, Thorold
2021 Canada Games Way, Thorold, ON L2V 4Y6
7:00am
Toronto
Sunday March 30, 2025
University of Toronto
GOLDRING KIMMEL FAMILY FIELD HOUSE
Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, 100 Devonshire Pl, Toronto ON M5S 2C9
7:00am
Kingston
Saturday April 12, 2025
St. Lawrence College- Kingston
St. Lawrence College Gym
100 Portsmouth Ave
7:00am
Waterloo
Saturday May 10, 2025
University of Waterloo
PHYSCIAL ACTIVITIES COMPLEX (PAC)
200 University Ave. W. Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
7:00am
