Former Cochrane Lion Cooper Barden is vying to make Team Canada, in a sport he never thought about before.
Former Cochrane Lion Cooper Barden is vying to make Team Canada, in a sport he never thought about before.
Barden, a 15-year-old soccer and rugby player at Bow Valley High School, caught the attention of scouts from Luge Canada at an RBC training event in Calgary in March, and has now been named one of the program’s national finalists.
RBC Training Ground is the Canadian Olympic Committee’s official cross-country talent search site, designed to identify and fund future Olympians.
“After we met Cooper and saw his baseline test results, we invited him to a camp at the Ice House to see if he could be a good fit for Luge,” said Mike Lane, Luge Canada’s national junior coach. “He picked up his new luge skills very quickly, so we’re excited to see where this goes.”
This year, 2,200 athletes (aged 14-25) from a wide range of sports took part in free local qualifying events across the country, performing basic speed, strength, power and endurance tests in front of Olympic talent scouts to find the sport that suits them best. They are best suited, or receive a funding boost, in their current sport based on their initial physical abilities.
The top 100 athletes with great Olympic potential will now compete in the national final of the RBC Training Ground on December 2 in Toronto. Thirty finalist athletes will receive funding, a spot on Team Canada with one of twelve partner national sports organizations, and a fast track to the Olympics.
Barden won gold as a receiver with the Region 7 soccer team at the 2023 Alberta Summer Games, and plays for the Cochrane Lions.
“I love the speed of snowmobiling, and the challenges every day brings is learning a new sport,” Barden said. “I’m really excited to meet current and former Olympians at the national final, go to Toronto, and have a new sporting experience.”
During the final national test of the RBC Training Ground, athletes’ speed, power, strength and endurance will once again be tested against the sport’s high-performance standards under the supervision of the program’s athlete partners. An athlete’s anthropometric measurements (height, wingspan, etc.), sport-specific testing (conducted after the qualifying stage) and competitive sport history also play a role in determining who is selected for funding.
The finalists, who will receive transportation and food provided by RBC, will be joined in the final by RBC Training Ground alumni and Olympic medalists.
The 30 athletes selected for funding will be announced in early 2024. Funding is administered by the participating national sports organization that enrolls the athlete into its system, and is used for things such as training, transportation, travel, equipment and nutrition. NSO’s partners include Boxing Canada; canoe kayak canada; Climbing Escalade Canada; Cycling in Canada. Free Canada, Log Canada; Rowing Canada Aveyron, Rugby Canada; Speed skating in Canada; Triathlon Canada; Volleyball Canada, Boxing Canada; climbing canada; Triathlon Canada; And wrestling Canada.
The full list of 100 finalists is available at RBCTrainingground.ca In the community/news section.
Now on the eighthy The following year, RBC Training Ground is a nationwide talent identification and athlete funding program dedicated to finding and supporting the next generation of Canadian athletes. Since its inception in 2016, the program has tested 13,000 athletes in free local events across Canada, with nearly 2,000 identified by NSO partners as having Olympic potential.
Thirteen athletes competed at the RBC Training Ground at two Olympic Games, and together captured seven medals. Program graduates Kelsey Mitchell and Marion Thénault They are among the medal winners, and both had never tried their Olympic sports before appearing at the RBC Training Ground event.
The new season of the RBC Training Ground will be launched in early 2024. Visit RBCTrainingGround.ca For details.
