Northern Ontario athlete a step closer to her Olympic dream
Kristen Siermachesky can now let out a secret she has been keeping for the past three weeks. The 23-year-old rower from New Liskeard is one of only 30 athletes to be awarded funding and an accelerated path to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
It was announced on TSN this week when competitors were showcased at the RBC Training Ground National Competition. Siermachesky said it was an incredible experience to have Olympians cheering her on at the event.
“It’s like, no, we should be cheering you on, but really that’s what they’re looking for in this competition, to create these relationships,” she said.
“Five little competitions that you do, it’s about creating those relationships and connections with those Olympians along the way."
More than 1,500 athletes competed and Siermachesky recorded the top score among all females in endurance and the second-best result in strength.
The goal of the RBC Training Ground Program is to find the next generation of Canadian Olympians by testing them and pairing them with a sport that matches their scores.
“So you can go from a sport you thought you were good at to one that you’re excellent at," said Sam Effah, an RBC Olympian.
“I think to have that opportunity provided by a bank just to help that transition happen and push you to your Olympics goal and essentially connect with national sports organizations is amazing.”
Siermachesky lives and trains for her rowing in Vancouver and still has to make the senior national team.
“Right now I am lucky enough to be training around them all the time so I see their environment,” she said.
“I know a lot of the girls now. I’m slowly starting to create those connections and learn from them."
Siermachesky recently competed in the National Rowing Championships and next, she will be working towards making it to the Pan American Games and, she hopes, the Paris Olympics.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.