From Global News.

Canadian athletes say for too long increasing costs and chronic underfunding have forced many to make a choice between taking on the financial burdens of following their dreams and walking away.

“Athletes who were in Milano-Cortina, they were spending on average $25,000 per person just to be participants on the national team and that meant most of them weren’t even getting the training camps, the coaching, the access that they need to be there,” Canadian Olympic medallist Jennifer Heil said.

“Time will tell if it’s enough, but this is a generational investment,” Canada Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said. “This is the first time a Canadian in government hasn’t just talked about the important link between playground to podium in Canadian Sport but has actually invested behind it and has a strategy about how those two things must be interconnected.”

As Heidi Petracek reports, the federal government is trying to change that with $755 million over five years to support athletes and national sports organizations.

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