Tomorrow’s Team Canada

Bianca Paquin and Luke Ruitenberg are Olympians of the future. Both will be representing Nova Scotia on Petro Canada’s recently announced “Tomorrow’s Team Canada.” The athletes will receive a funding grant from Petro Canada, alongside an invite to the Fueling Athletes and Coaching Excellence (FACE) summit in early November.

Paquin, an accomplished boxer, is excited by the news.

“It feels awesome,” she said simply. “The support is unbelievable; it saves me from a lot of fundraising so I can just concentrate on becoming better. I’m headed off to a training camp in Montreal before an international competition soon—now I don’t have to save for that.”

Being an amateur athlete has its own unique set of problems. Paquin, and athletes like her, find themselves having to keep up with world class competition while facing very real budgetary and time concerns. Finding funding through a source like FACE allows the athlete to focus completely on their training.

“There isn’t much financial support if you’re an athlete in Nova Scotia,” she said. “Especially if you’re a boxer — we have no funding, and boxing isn’t even a rich sport to begin with. Usually four families have to get together to fundraise.”

Paquin grew up around combat sports, her family was heavily involved in Taekwondo. Her father placed her into a boxing gym on Gottigen street in Halifax as soon as he possibly could, she then immediately fell in love with the sport.

Finding herself named as a potential member of the next Team Canada is an exciting prospect for the boxer.

“I’ve never imagined myself being here 16 years ago,” she said.

Luke Ruitenberg, from Head of Saint Margarets Bay, also was named to the team.

“I think it’s great,” said Ruitenberg. “It feels good to be recognized along with so many other young atheletes in Canada across different sports. To be one of the people in that group is very prestigious. Being from Nova Scotia, we’re a small group in the entirety of Canada.

“There’s not a whole lot of support for sailing in Canada, so this is awesome,” he said. “Along with the support the recognition is fantastic. I’m at the point where I’m going to soon start sailing full time and being a full time athlete. Fundraising is a huge part of that.”

He was first introduced to sailing when he accompanied a friend to summer camp at a sailing club; the sport hooked him, and eventually lead into competitive sailing.

“I really love to compete,” he said. “I went from one program to the other, into race teams, always moving upwards in competition. The Olympics are always on my mind with everything I do. I’m always thinking about how I can contribute now to my end goal of competing in the Olympic games. Every day in the gym, training on the water — it’s all focused on the single goal.”

Behind a great athlete is an even greater support system. Ruitenberg was quick to hand out thanks to those who have helped him get to where he is.

“My parents have been my biggest supporters through my whole time sailing so far,” concluded Ruitenberg. “I’ve been lucky to have really great coaches along the way, the coach I’m working with now, Lisa Ross, is a two-time Olympian, and she’s very committed to our team and the athletes. It’s a huge factor to have someone like that who can prepare me and help me bring my compete level to the standards it needs to be at an international level.”

Ruitenberg’s next step is to make the national team — which would be his transition into a full time athlete.

Paquin and Ruitenberg were two of 52 athletes across 39 sports to get the nod.