Northern Ontario athlete a step closer to her Olympic dream
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.
President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he ordered U.S. officials to shoot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier this week and that national security leaders decided the best time for the operation was when it got over water.
Canadians will continue to bundle up in the country's east this weekend as a recent bout of extreme cold persists in much of Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. CTVNews.ca looks at the signs and symptoms for frostbite and hypothermia to watch for if exposed to extreme cold.
A cold snap that triggered Environment Canada alerts involving eight provinces and territories extended into a second day on Saturday, shattering several past temperature records and leaving thousands of customers in Atlantic Canada without power.
The massive white orb drifting across U.S. airspace has triggered a diplomatic maelstrom and is blowing up on social media. A look at what's known about the balloon crossing the U.S. and what isn't.
Eyes were locked on the skies Saturday as a suspected Chinese spy balloon passed over the U.S. Eastern Seaboard -- where local authorities warned civilians against taking potshots with rifles -- before it was shot down when it drifted over the Atlantic Ocean.
Parents of students with special needs are speaking out about a decision by the Simcoe County District School Board to change transportation options starting Monday.
A spokesperson for the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) says Metrolinx began cutting down historic trees at Osgoode Hall in Toronto on Saturday before the Ontario Superior Court could hear an injunction to prevent their clearing.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says more than a dozen groups have filed applications to buy the Ottawa Senators, with a preliminary cut of the potential bidders expected later this month when the initial bids are submitted.
Residents from Quebec to Newfoundland and Labrador are waking up this morning to more extreme cold weather. Emergency officials warned people to seek shelter and monitor for frostbite if they had to be outside overnight, as the temperature across much of Eastern Canada was expected to feel like -40 C to -50 C with the wind chill.
Another property reportedly belonging to a family member of Tony Accurso was the target of an arson attack in Laval early Saturday morning. The Laval fire department responded to a call at 3:22 a.m. about a fire at the building located at 1410 Jaffa Street in the Saint Rose district in the northern part of Laval.
A Quebec university study found that nearly three years of the pandemic have had an effect on the travel habits of Quebecers: even with the partial or complete lifting of restrictions, they increasingly prefer to travel at home. The most recent Cahier des tendances published by the Transat Chair in Tourism at the École des sciences de la gestion de l'UQAM revealed that inflation and health measures hurt many Quebecers.
The first North Atlantic right whale to be entangled in connection to Canada’s lobster fishery in over five years has been successfully rescued by marine mammal rescue responders in the United States.
WINNIPEG -- An Indigenous organization is spearheading efforts to develop a system that could make it easier to flag when a person experiencing homelessness is missing.
Winnipeg police released a new image of a 31-year-old woman who has been missing since early last year on Friday in the hope it may generate new information on her whereabouts.
More than 1,500 athletes got louder than ever this weekend, showcasing their best handsprings, aerials, and choreography at the 2023 Imagine Cheer and Dance Championships in Calgary.
Vancouver police say the man recorded hurling profanity and homophobic slurs at a young couple outside a downtown SkyTrain station last weekend has turned himself in.
President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he ordered U.S. officials to shoot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier this week and that national security leaders decided the best time for the operation was when it got over water.
