MEDIA RELEASE: 14 September 2017 – R00164

Brock University’s Sports Performance Centre could be the starting line for a young Canadian’s Olympic journey.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, Brock will be a host site for the RBC Training Ground, an athletic performance testing event for young people aimed at identifying potential Olympic talent. More than 150 athletes are expected to take part in the event, which is open to anyone between the ages of 14 and 25.

Running the testing combine along with Canadian Sport Institute Ontario is Brock Sports Performance Manager Steve Lidstone, who said the event is an important recruiting tool that will be used “to identify next generation athletes with potential to one day stand on the podium at a major games.”

Along with Lidstone, putting the young athletes through their paces will be 35 volunteer Brock students who work with the Brock Sports Performance Centre.

RBC Training Ground is free for athletes to take part in. Starting at 10 a.m., they will be tested for strength, speed and endurance in front of officials from the Canadian Olympic Committee and 11 national sports.

Top performers from the St. Catharines event will advance to an Ontario regional final at Scarborough’s Pan Am Sports Centre on Oct. 14. From there, any top athletes selected by the national sport organizations will receive financial support from RBC and a trip to the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

In 2016, the first year of RBC Training Ground, 25 young athletes were identified through the program and are now pursuing their Olympic dreams.

For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

* Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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