Thirteen Para athletes awarded 2024 Petro-Canada FACE grants

Thirteen Para athletes, including three headed to the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris, have been announced as 2024 Petro-Canada FACE™ grant recipients. Each athlete and their coach will receive $10,000 between them in funding for the next year.

The Petro-Canada Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence (FACE) grant, now in its 36th year, provides financial support to both athletes and coaches as they pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams.

Since 1988, Petro-Canada has provided over $14 million in financial support to more than 3,500 Canadian athletes and coaches. In July, Suncor’s Petro-Canada business announced it had renewed its partnerships through to the end of 2032 with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Canadian Olympic Committee.

“Petro-Canada is a committed supporter of inclusive sport in Canada and the FACE program has been such a significant facet of this support,” said Karen O’Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee. “FACE grants have provided so many athletes and coaches with important funding to advance their sporting careers. We thank Petro-Canada for this recognition, and congratulate this year’s recipients; we look forward to following along as you take the next steps in your journeys.”

The 13 Para athlete recipients are among 55 Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls awarded 2024 FACE grants. The funding goes towards training, equipment, education, and travel costs.

Three of the 13 athletes are headed to their first Paralympic Games in Paris this month: shot putter Katie Pegg of Scarborough, Ont., Para swimmer Reid Maxwell of St. Albert, Alta., and javelin specialist Ashlyn Renneberg of Saskatoon.

Two other recipients, Para badminton’s William Roussy of Marie, Que. and wheelchair tennis player Natalia Lanucha of Pincourt, Que. competed at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago.

“We’re proud to provide essential funding through FACE to Canadian athletes and coaches aspiring to reach the podium,” said Patrick Ritchie, VP, Sales and Marketing, Petro-Canada. “To us, Living by the Leaf means supporting those who wear it and celebrating the athletes who may one day represent Canada on the world stage.”

The Para athlete 2024 FACE™ grant recipients are:

• Katie Pegg, Para athletics, Scarborough, Ont. (coach: Jodi Langley)
• Reid Maxwell, Para swimming, St. Albert, Alta. (coach: Alex Wallingford)
• Chase Nicklin, Para snowboard, Port Alberni, B.C. (coach: Gregory Picard)
• Jillian Hopkins, wheelchair curling, Toronto (coach: Wendy Morgan)
• Bernard Rosello, wheelchair basketball, Winnipeg (coach: Joey Johnson)
• Ashlyn Renneberg, Para athletics, Saskatoon (coach: Tyrell Sawatzky)
• Amber Briar, wheelchair fencing, Mississauga, Ont. (coach: David Briar)
• Carter Plumb, boccia, Brampton, Ont. (coach: Tiffany Gaudet)
• William Roussy, Para badminton, Marie, Que. (coach: Éric Dufour)
• Logan Lariviere, Para nordic skiing, Lively, Ont. (coach: Patricia Kitler)
• Charlotte McElroy, wheelchair basketball, Hamilton, Ont. (coach: Chris Chandler)
• Natalia Lanucha, wheelchair tennis, Pincourt, Que. (coach: Etienne Bergeron)
• Abbygayle Durliat, Para rowing, St. Catharines, Ont. (coach: Mike Petrychanko)

The complete list of 2024 recipients can be found here.