I express my excitement to be among this year’s Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary recipients in the press release below. Thank you to my family, teammates, and community for supporting me. Congratulations to AthletesCAN for consistently delivering a program with such a massive impact on Canada’s sport system.
UBC law student Josh Vander Vies awarded 2013 Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary
OTTAWA, June 27, 2013 – AthletesCAN and Investors Group are pleased to announce that Boccia national team member Josh Vander Vies has been awarded a $5,000 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund bursary.
In keeping with their commitment to amateur sport in Canada, Investors Group established a bursary fund for Canada’s top high performance athletes. A national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians, Investors Group annually awards twenty $5,000 bursaries to assist Canada’s elite amateur athletes with the costs of training and competition. Selection criteria includes: athletic achievement, financial need and community involvement. Since its inception in 2000, the Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund has provided more than $1,300,000 to Canadian athletes. AthletesCAN administers the bursary on behalf of Investors Group.
“Investors Group considers it an honour to help support our nation’s elite athletes with these bursaries,” says Richard Irish, Vice-President, Community Affairs and Marketing Support for Investors Group. “Athletes at this level are constantly juggling the demands of work and school with training and competition. For 13 years now, we have been pleased to provide Canada’s athletes with bursaries totaling over $1 million to make those demands easier to manage.”
“This bursary recognizes the dedication and excellence Josh exhibits on the field of play and as a leader within his community,” says AthletesCAN Executive Director Jasmine Northcott. “AthletesCAN values Investors Group’s ongoing support of Canada’s national team athletes, and are excited to see this bursary assist Josh in achieving his dreams.”
Josh’s recent sport accomplishments include a bronze medal at the 2012 London Paralympic Games in mixed pairs and a bronze at the Guadalajara 2011 Parapan American Games in the mixed individual event.
“For years I have admired Investor’s Group’s commitment to Canadian sport and have looked up to the athletes who have won this prestigious award,” says Josh. “Mixing community impact with athletic accomplishment has been a highlight of my career; I am humbled to be recognized for it. The Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund will give me the ability to focus more on my training and studies and less on balancing my budget,” he adds. “This is a huge advantage for me on the court as I tighten my game and seek out competition and training opportunities that would not otherwise be financially viable.”
2013 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary Recipients:
Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, ON) – Hockey
Breanne Dodd (Surrey, BC) – Water Ski
Alexandra Duckworth (Kingsburg, NS) – Halfpipe Snowboarding
Meagan Duhamel (Lively, ON) – Figure Skating
David Eng (Montreal, QC) – Wheelchair Basketball
Christine Girard (White Rock, BC) – Weightlifting
Jessica Groeneveld (Innisfail, AB) – Kayak Slalom
Constantine Kudaba (Port Coquitlam, BC) – Water Polo
Karina LeBlanc (Maple Ridge, BC) – Soccer
Jessica Mair (Edmonton, AB) – Curling
Lucas Makowsky (Regina, SK) – Speed Skating
Jenna Martin (Bridgewater, NS) – Athletics
Paul Poirier (Unionville, ON) – Figure Skating
Anjelika Reznik (Vaughan, ON) – Rhythmic Gymnastics
Brittany Schussler (Winnipeg, MB) – Speed Skating
Cody Sorensen (Ottawa, ON) – Bobsleigh
Karine Thomas (Gatineau, QC) – Synchronized Swimming
Donna Vakalis (Toronto, ON) – Modern Pentathlon
Josh Vander Vies (Sarnia, ON) – Boccia
Dory Yeats (Montreal, QC) – Wrestling
For more information, please contact: Ashley LaBrie
Director, Athlete Relations & Strategic Partnerships AthletesCAN (613) 526-4025 x224 alabrie@athletescan.com www.athletescan.com
Investors Group, founded in 1926, is a national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians through a network of over 4,600 Consultants located throughout Canada. In addition to an exclusive family of mutual funds and other investment vehicles, Investors Group offers a wide range of insurance, securities, mortgage and other financial services.
As the voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture.
