7th Annual Canadian Olympic Foundation Future Olympians Fund Award Winners Announced – Team Canada

Darren Calabrese/COC

July 15, 2024

Canadian NextGen boxer Junior Petanqui says the most important lesson his sport has taught him so far is that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself.

And as for the endless possibilities, Petanqui is determined to take boxing as far as it can go. He wants to represent Canada on the biggest stage in the world: the Olympic Games.

“Looking ahead, I am most excited to reach new heights in my performance and compete at the highest level. Each season brings new challenges and opportunities for growth, and I can’t wait to see how far I can push my limits,” says Petanqui.

Petanqui received the Future Olympians Fund (FOF) Award from the Canadian Olympic Foundation in 2024, providing financial support to achieve its goals.

The FOF Award provides resources to Next Gen athletes and their coaches to support relationships between elite athletes and coaches, helping to advance the next generation of Olympians and their coaches on their way to the podium.

“The FOF award will be instrumental in providing me with the resources I need to train and compete effectively. It will help cover the costs of high-quality equipment, travel to competitions and access to specialist coaching,” Petanqui said.

Petanqui coaches Vincent Auclair and Samir El Mais also receive support from the award, which awards athletes and coaches $5,000 each for two years. In the past 10 years, 54 coaches and 48 athletes have benefited from the fund.

“My relationship with my coach is fundamental to my success. Their guidance, encouragement, and expertise have been crucial to my development as an athlete. I am incredibly grateful for their support and look forward to continuing to grow under their mentorship.”

In previous years, Future Olympians Fund resources have also been used to provide coaching development opportunities and recruit and retain more full-time top coaches.

Athletes can use the prize money to cover their top performance training costs, such as equipment and development costs, to help them achieve their Olympic dreams.

Some young athletes are already on track to compete in their first Olympic Games. Skateboarder Fay De Fazio Ebert has been named to the Canadian Olympic team that will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer, while snowboarder Anthony Shelly and freestyle skier Charlie Beatty both made it to and won medals at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games this past winter. Petanqui also represented Canada in boxing at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago.

Congratulations to the athletes and coaches who won the Future Olympians Fund Award 2024!