AthletesCAN and Investors Group are pleased to announce that Canadian Para-Equestrian team member Roberta Sheffield 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 $1.5 million 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 Trevor Krahn, Manager, Community Affairsfor Investors Group. “Athletes at this level are constantly juggling the demands of work and school with training and competition. For 16 years now, we have been pleased to provide Canada’s athletes with bursaries totaling over $1.5 million to make those demands easier to manage.”

“AthletesCAN appreciates and applauds Investors Group’s contributions as a leader in corporate support of Canada’s national team athletes”, says AthletesCAN Interim Executive Director Ashley LaBrie. “This bursary recognizes the dedication and leadership Roberta exhibits both on and off the field of play. We look forward to seeing the impact of this funding throughout her quest for excellence as an athlete and a role model.”

“I am so excited that Investors Group and AthletesCAN have shown this massive leap of faith in me and I will do everything in my power to make them and my country proud of me”, exclaimed Roberta. “This is a wonderful opportunity to be able to compete and train more in the run up to the 2016 Paralympics. Medals are won in the preparation so this will be a huge help as we work aim for the podium”, she adds. “I really want to be able to share my career and, hopefully, success with the staff and students of Willoughby School. They are an amazing bunch who do the most incredible work!”

2015 Team Investors Group Amateur Athletes Fund Bursary Recipients:
Patricia Bezzoubenko (Thornhill, ON) – Rhythmic Gymnastics
Laura Brown (Calgary, AB) – Cycling
Marie-Eve Croteau (Quebec, QC) – Para-Cycling
Marco Dispaltro (St-Jerome, QC) – Boccia
Roseline Filion (Laval, QC) – Diving
Ariane Fortin (St-Nicolas, QC) – Boxing
Marc-Antoine Gagnon (Terrebonne, QC) – Freestyle Skiing
Joanna Guy (Mississauga, ON) – Fencing
Rachel Homan (Ottawa, ON) – Curling
Kyle Jones (Oakville, ON) – Triathlon
Kip Kangogo (Lethbridge, AB) – Athletics
Jane Kirby (Guelph, ON) – Rugby
Justin Kripps (Summerland, BC) – Bobsleigh
Audrey Lacroix (Pont-Rouge, QC) – Swimming
Pamela LeJean (Halifax, NS) – Para- Athletics
Cleopas Ncube (Kingston, ON) – Wrestling
Guillaume Ouellet (Victoriaville, QC) – Para Athletics
Taylor Pischke (Winnipeg, MB) – Beach Volleyball
Roberta Sheffield (Ottawa, ON) – Para Equestrian
Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, ON) – Ice Hockey