September 15/14 14:04 pm - Suncor Increases Funding for Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence Program

Posted by Editoress on 09/15/14
 

Petro-Canada, a Suncor Energy business, today announced the 2014 Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence (FACE) recipients along with a major increase in funding for the program. The 2014 FACE recipients from across Canada represent both summer and winter sports, and athletes competing in individual or team events.

Two Canadian cyclists and their coaches are receiving funding BMX rider Alex Tougas and coach Ken Cools, and mountain biker Laura Bietola and coach Dan Proulx.

This year, Suncor, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) increased the funding amount for each athlete and coach pairing from $8,000 to $10,000. In total, this increases Suncor's annual financial commitment to the program from $400,000 to $500,000.

"The FACE program is the cornerstone of our Olympic and Paralympic legacy and we are excited to increase the funding for both coaches and athletes, fuelling their dreams to compete on the international stage," said Louis Côté, director, loyalty and strategic partnerships, Suncor. "The drive and discipline of the athletes and coaches chosen is astounding. Congratulations on becoming this year's FACE recipients."

The COC, CPC, and their National Sport partners work together each year to run the FACE program, which provides developing, pre-carded Canadian athlete and coach pairings with funding to help fuel their dreams. Coaches are selected along with the athletes they directly coach, which highlights Petro-Canada's long-term support and recognition of the value of coaches to the development and performance of athletes. These coaches incur their own costs on the road to developing the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic stars of tomorrow.

"It's wonderful to see renewed and strengthened support from Petro-Canada, who has supported Canadian athletes for more than 25 years," said Marcel Aubut, COC president. "We look forward to cheering on the athletes as they continue to gear up for success on the world stage."

"On behalf of our athletes and coaches, we would like to thank Petro-Canada for helping build a strong parasport system in Canada and investing in tomorrow's champions," added Gaétan Tardif, president, CPC. "These grants will provide vital funding for athletes looking to compete against world-class competition."

Beginning with the Petro-Canada Torch Scholarship Fund in 1988 and continuing through its re-launch as the FACE Program in 2007, the program has provided more than 2,600 Canadian athletes and coaches with almost $9 million in direct financial support. These resources help athletes achieve national carded status and coaches improve their skills.

This year's group of recipients includes five previous recipients (Donna Vakalis, Jazmyne Denhollander, Julia Ransom, Virginie Chénier, Zachary Burt), along with Dylan French, the Canadian flagbearer at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.