Thirteen Para athletes awarded 2026 Petro-Canada FACE grants 

Thirteen Para athletes, including four members of the 2025 Youth Parapan American Games team, have been announced as 2026 Petro-Canada Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence (FACE™) grant recipients.  

The FACE grant, now in its 38th year, provides financial support to both athletes and coaches as they pursue their Paralympic and Olympic dreams. 

Since 1988, Petro-Canada’s FACE Program has provided over $15 million in support of more than 3,500 athletes and coaches. Each year, National Sport Organizations nominate athlete-and-coach pairings, with 55 selected to receive a $10,000 FACE grant which is split evenly between the athlete and coach.  

“The FACE program has been a significant part of the sport pathway in Canada for several years, with so many Paralympic medallists having received a FACE grant early in their careers,” said Karen O’Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee. “Thank you to Petro-Canada for their longstanding leadership and commitment to sport in Canada and supporting Canadian athletes and coaches – it has made a true impact. This type of support is so invaluable to an athlete to remove barriers and provide resources as they progress in their sport journeys. We congratulate each member of the class of 2026.” 

The funding goes towards training, equipment, education, and travel costs – all significant needs for an athlete as they develop in their career and take the next step on the international stage.  

Many Canadian Paralympians are former grant recipients. Seventeen Petro-Canada FACE alumni athletes won or contributed to – whether individually or as part of a medal-winning team – 12 of Canada’s 15 medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games earlier this year. This included Natalie Wilkie (class of 2017), Sierra Smith (class of 2017), Collinda Joseph (class of 2015), and Mark Arendz (class of 2010).  

Four of the 2026 13 Para athlete recipients gained valuable international experience last year as members of the Canadian team at the Chile 2025 Youth Parapan American Games.  

This includes quadruple gold medallist Alyssa Smyth in Para swimming, silver medallist Andrew Woodcroft in boccia, and bronze medallist Thulir Hector in table tennis. Also from that team is Joe Philpott in boccia. 

Smyth and Woodrow were Canada’s Closing Ceremony flag bearers in Chile.  

The Para athlete 2026 FACE™ grant recipients are: 

• Alyssa Smyth, Para swimming, Orangeville, Ont. (coach: Samuel Kuntz) 

• Andrew Woodrow, boccia, St. John’s, N.L. (coach: Eileen Bartlett) 

• Joe Philpott, boccia, St. John’s. N.L. (coach: Eileen Bartlett) 

• Anthony Vibol Hay, Para badminton, Montreal (coach: Danièle Bouffard) 

• Étienne Rheault, Para athletics, Drummondville, Que. (coach : Camille Lavoie-Beaulieu) 

• James Budrow, Para alpine skiing, Ottawa (coach: Nick Kwansiak) 

• Margot Wehrle, Para triathlon, Victoria (coach: Lisa Mensink) 

• Reid Mulligan, wheelchair curling, Ottawa (coach: Gerry Peckham) 

• Thulir Hector, Para table tennis, Saskatoon (coach: Esther Oribamise) 

• Tianna Asala, Para swimming, Okotoks, Alta. (coach: Kim Cousins) 

• Valérie Desroches, Para Athletics, Quebec City (coach: Nathalie Séguin) 

• Spencer Arnold, Para archery, Chilliwack, B.C. (coach: Linda Price) 

• Katie Bajema, wheelchair basketball, Edmonton (coach: Darrell Nordell) 

The complete list of 2026 recipients can be found HERE.