Ottawa, Ontario – Today, the Canadian Fencing Federation is proud to announce Dylan French and Jenny Zhao, along with their coaches Victor Gantsevich and Paul ApSimon as recipients of Petro-Canada Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence (FACE) funding. Suncor, proud owner of Petro-Canada, annually awards 50 athlete and coach pairings with funding to help fuel their sport dreams.  

“The FACE program is the cornerstone of our Olympic and Paralympic legacy and we are excited to increase the funding for both coaches and athletes, fuelling their dream to compete on the international stage,” said Louis Côté, Director, Loyalty and Strategic Partnerships, Suncor. “The drive and discipline of the athletes and coaches chosen is astounding, congratulations on becoming this year’s FACE recipients.”

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.

“This funding will help my development as an athlete as it will support me going to a number of competitions overseas at the senior level, which I would normally find hard to attend.” Stated Dylan French from Richmond, BC who won bronze at the 2014 Cadet World Fencing Championships in men’s epee. “It will also support my coach in attending as well, so I will have the support at the competition to do my best and learn from the experience – I am very grateful to Petro-Canada for giving me this opportunity."

Foil fencer Jenny Zhao from Ottawa, ON notes that, “the Petro-Canada FACE funding program will give me the opportunity to attend more training camps and to continue working with my personal fitness trainer. The program will allow me to train and achieve the next level in competitive fencing where all the top athletes are right now. My hope is to join their ranks and become an Olympic level athlete in the fencing community.”

“The Canadian Fencing Federation sincerely thanks Suncor and the Canadian Olympic Committee for its support of this program, which currently fills an important gap in the Canadian sport system,” stated CFF President Brad Goldie.

This year, Suncor increased the funding from $8,000 per athlete and coach pairing to $10,000, and boosted the total annual financial commitment from $400,000 to $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 2,600 Canadian athletes and coaches with almost $9 million in direct financial support. Recipients of the 2014 program funding represent both summer and winter sports and represent Canada from coast to coast.

Previous FACE recipients have gone on to great success on the international stage, including at the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, reaching the podium 12 times. Medallists include: Mark Arendz (Para-Biathlon – Silver, Bronze), Jim Armstrong (Wheelchair Curling – Gold), Patrick Chan (Figure Skating – Silver, Silver), Mélodie Daoust (Ice Hockey – Gold), Kaitlyn Lawes (Curling – Gold), Mac Marcoux (Para-Alpine – Gold, Bronze, Bronze), Kevin Reynolds (Figure Skating – Silver), Marielle Thompson (Ski Cross – Gold).

For more a complete list of 2014 FACE recipients or additional information on the FACE program, visit www.facebook.com/dreambig.

Suncor Energy

Suncor Energy 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 Energy 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, CFF Executive Director, [email protected], 613-323-5605