50 athlete and coach pairings receive $10,000 to help fuel their sport dreams

Ottawa, ON – Today, the Canadian Fencing Federation is proud to announce Loïc Beaulieu (Sherbrooke, QC) coached by Charles St. Hilaire (Lévi, QC) and Monica Lubczynski (Pointe-Claire, QC) coached by Iulian Badea (Montreal, QC) as recipients of a Petro-Canada “Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence” (FACEtm) funding. Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, annually awards 50 athlete and coach pairings with funding to help fuel their sport dreams.  

“From coast to coast, Canada has many outstanding athletes and coaches and we’re honoured to support Tomorrow’s Team Canada,” said Marc Goodman, director, loyalty and strategic partnerships, Suncor. “Each year we’re inspired by the dedication of our FACE program recipients. Congratulations to the Class of 2015.”   

Working together with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and their National Sport partners, the FACE program provides developing, pre-carded, Canadian athlete and coach pairings with $10,000 in grants. These resources help athletes achieve national carded status and coaches improve their skills over the long term.

"The Canadian Fencing Federation is extremely appreciative of this funding to our up-and-coming athletes and their coaches," said CFF Executive Director, Caroline Sharp. "Our past athlete recipients have gone on to compete at Senior World Championships and Olympic Games and several coaches are now part of our Senior National Team Program."

Petro-Canada has committed to a total annual financial commitment of $500,000 for every year of the program going forward.

Beginning with the Petro-Canada Torch Scholarship Fund in 1988 and continuing through its re-launch as the FACE Program in 2007, the program has provided more than 2,700 Canadian athletes and coaches with over $9.4 million in direct financial support. Recipients of the 2015 program funding represent both summer and winter sports and represent Canada from coast to coast.

For more a complete list of 2015 FACE recipients or additional information on the FACE program, visit
https://www.facebook.com/petrocanadafuelsathletes
Suncor
Suncor is Canada's leading integrated energy company. Suncor's operations include oil sands development and upgrading, conventional and offshore oil and gas production, petroleum refining, and product marketing under the Petro-Canada brand. A member of Dow Jones Sustainability indexes, FTSE4Good and CDP, Suncor is working to responsibly develop petroleum resources while also growing a renewable energy portfolio. Suncor is listed on the UN Global Compact 100 stock index and the Corporate Knights’ Global 100. Suncor's common shares (symbol: SU) are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.
Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, operates more than 1,450 retail stations and 250 Petro-Pass wholesale locations nationwide. Petro-Canada’s retail loyalty program, Petro-Points™, provides Canadians with the opportunity to earn and redeem rewards. Petro-Canada is proud to be a National Partner of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees, supporting Canadian athletes, coaches and their families for more than 25 years. For more information, visit petro-canada.ca.
Canadian Olympic Committee
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) leads the achievement of the Canadian Olympic Team’s podium success and advances Olympic values in Canada. Independent and predominantly privately funded, the COC delivers resources that Canada’s elite athletes need to perform at their best and give their everything every day. The backbone of Canada’s Olympic movement, the COC works with National Sport Federations to prepare the Team for the Olympic, Youth Olympic and Pan American Games. By sharing our athletes’ stories, we inspire all Canadians through the power of sport: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Canadian Paralympic Committee
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 25 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian high performance athletes with a disability and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca
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Media inquiries:
Caroline Sharp, Executive Director, Canadian Fencing Federation, ed@fencing.ca, (613) 323-5605.