June 18, 2015 (Ottawa, ON) – In keeping with their commitment to amateur sport in Canada, Investors Group established a bursary fund for Canada’s top high performance athletes. A national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians, Investors Group annually awards twenty $5,000 bursaries to assist Canada’s elite amateur athletes with the costs of training and competition. Selection criteria includes: athletic achievement, financial need and community involvement.

Since its inception in 2000, the Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund has provided more than $1.5 million to Canadian athletes. AthletesCAN administers the bursary on behalf of Investors Group.

“Investors Group considers it an honour to help support our nation’s elite athletes with these bursaries,” says Trevor Krahn, Manager, Community Affairs for Investors Group. “Athletes at this level are constantly juggling the demands of work and school with training and competition. For 15 years now, we have been pleased to provide Canada’s athletes with bursaries totaling $1.5 million to make those demands easier to manage.”

In 2014, Olympic synchronized swimmer Karine Thomas was one of 20 recipients to earn the Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary of $5,000 through AthletesCAN.

“There are few organizations working so tirelessly to assist Canadian athletes as Investors Group and AthletesCAN”, says the 2015 Pan American Games medal hopeful. “Their generosity and commitment to amateur sport in Canada has made a tremendous difference in my life and the lives of many Canadian athletes. As I prepare for this summer’s Pan American Games in Toronto, I cannot help but be thankful for their encouragement, and for their belief in my ability to one day achieve my dream of standing atop the Olympic podium”, adds Karine. “Their support has allowed me to focus solely upon my objectives – training, recovery, and competing amongst the best in the world – and to do so without the financial worries that so many of Canada’s top athletes face on a daily basis. As we compete in Toronto this summer on the road to Rio, I rest assured knowing that organizations such as Investors Group and AthletesCAN will be there to support us every step of the way.”

AthletesCAN Executive Director, Ashley LaBrie adds: “AthletesCAN is proud to partner with Investors Group, one of Canada’s leading corporate contributors of direct funding to our country’s top high performance athletes. As a champion of leadership on and off the field of play, Investors Group has recognized the athletic accomplishments, financial need and community involvement of Canadian athletes through the Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund for more 15 years. On behalf of Canadian athletes, AthletesCAN applauds Investors Group for their continued leadership and support where it is needed most.”

Congratulations to this year’s recipients who will continue to leave their mark the Canadian sport landscape and inspire the next generation of champions across the country.

The 2015 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund bursary recipients are:

• Patricia Bezzoubenko (Thornhill, ON) – Rhythmic Gymnastics
• Laura Brown (Vancouver, BC) – Cycling
• Marie-Eve Croteau (Quebec, QC) – Para-Cycling
• Marco Dispaltro (St-Jerome, QC) – Boccia
• Roseline Filion (Laval, QC) – Diving
• Ariane Fortin (St-Nicolas, QC) – Boxing
• Marc-Actoine Gagnon (Terrebonne, QC) – Freestyle Skiing
• Joanna Guy (Mississauga, ON) – Fencing
• Rachel Homan (Ottawa, ON) – Curling
• Kyle Jones (Oakville, ON) – Triathlon
• Kip Kangogo (Lethbridge, AB) – Athletics
• Jane Kirby (Guelph, ON) – Rugby
• Justin Kripps (Summerland, BC) – Bobsleigh
• Audrey Lacroix (Pont-Rouge, QC) – Swimming
• Pamela LeJean (Halifax, NS) – Para- Athletics
• Cleopas Ncube (Kingston, ON) – Wrestling
• Guillaume Ouellet (Victoriaville, QC) – Para Athletics
• Taylor Pischke (Winnipeg, MB) – Beach Volleyball
• Roberta Sheffield (Ottawa, ON) – Para Equestrian
• Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, ON) – Ice Hockey

A special thanks to our selection committee members Greg Edgelow (Wrestling), Andrew Haley (Swimming), Jayna Hefford (Hockey), Trevor Hirschfield (Wheelchair Rugby), and Maria Samson (Rugby).