July 14, 2005 – RBC Financial Group today announced the national launch of its RBC Olympians Program, which provides Canadian athletes with funding and work experience to help them succeed both in competition and life after sport.

“This unique program helps alleviate the real pressures of juggling finances and training by providing athletes with an income and the flexibility to structure their work around their training and competition schedules,” said Ann Louise Vehovec, senior vice-president, Brand and Marketing Communications, RBC Financial Group. “It also gives athletes the opportunity to gather skills and experiences to help them find a career after sport.”

The athletes will act as community ambassadors, sharing their past experiences and current Olympic dreams with schools, community groups and RBC clients and employees. They will also work to create awareness and support for amateur sport in Canada and inspire the next generation to be physically fit and participate in sports at any level.

“The RBC Olympians Program was an excellent opportunity for me to gain valuable work, project management and leadership experience, as well as discover where my interests lie for life after swimming,” said Mark Johnston, two-time Olympian and 14-time National Champion. “I look forward to continuing my career with RBC Financial Group this summer and putting the skills I learned as an RBC Olympian to use.”

“The RBC Olympians Program is another fine example of RBC’s exceptional contribution to supporting amateur sport in Canada,” said Chris Rudge, chief executive officer, Canadian Olympic Committee. “It is important for sports sponsorships to be more holistic and go beyond merely supporting athletes as they compete. We need programs in place to ensure athletes can be successful in their lives after sport – the RBC Olympians Program helps make this happen.”

RBC is seeking a number of carded national team athletes or former Olympians and Paralympians for a variety of positions in main urban centres across Canada for a contract term of 12 months beginning in late August 2005. More information on the RBC Olympians Program can be found at www.rbc.com/sponsorship/rbcolympians