Celebrating Black Excellence

February marked Black History Month in Canada, a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians. In honour of our Black athletes who represent us on the world stage we are shining the spotlight on 5 Black CAN Fund and CAN Fund #150Women recipients who wore the maple leaf this past February in Beijing. These athletes are building a legacy of impact as they trailblaze in their respective sports, break barriers and inspire us all.

Sarah Nurse - Hockey, Hamilton, ON

2x Olympian, 2018 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2022 Olympic Gold Medalist and Multiple CAN Fund #150Women Recipient

Sarah made her Olympic debut in 2018 but prior to that she was cut from the team the 4 previous seasons. Resilience, determination and persistence were the name of the game. Fast forward to 2022 and Sarah was an instrumental player for Canada with a historic performance that has cemented her as one of the best players in the world. At the Beijing Games she became the first Black woman to win gold in hockey at the Olympics. She also set a new Olympic record with 18 points in a single tournament! With 2.7 million Canadians tuning in to watch the gold medal game against arch rival USA, Sarah Nurse is becoming a household name and inspiring thousands of young players to dream big!

CYNTHIA APPIAH - Bobsleigh, Toronto, ON

2022 Olympian and Multiple CAN Fund #150Women Recipient

In 2010 Cynthia was drawn to bobsleigh after watching Shelley-Ann Brown, a past CAN Fund recipient and fellow Black woman win the Olympic silver medal as a brakeman in bobsleigh. She saw herself in Shelley-Ann! Fast forward 8 years and prior to the PyeongChang Games, Cynthia had developed into one of the top brakeman for Canada, she had multiple World Cup medals to her name but despite this success she was named an alternate. Cynthia would travel to PyeongChang but not to compete in the Games, rather to help her teammates from the sidelines in preparation for their races. Devastated and broken Cynthia seriously contemplated walking away from the sport but ultimately decided to reinvent herself. This time around in the quadrennial leading to Beijing, things would be different, Cynthia was going to make it on her own terms, in control of her own destiny, and not left to the decisions of someone else, so she decided to become a pilot. Cynthia made her Olympic debut in Beijing making history as Canada’s first Black female pilot to compete in the Games. She competed in the augural monobob event and the 2-woman event placing a very respectable 8th in both. While she had medal aspirations that fell short in Beijing, she proved she belonged amongst the world’s best. With a growing confidence and Olympic experience, she is already taking what she learned from her first Games as she begins to eye Milan 2026 more determined than ever.

Alyson Charles - Short Track Speed Skating, Montreal, QC

2022 Olympian and CAN Fund #150Women Recipient

If you can see it, you can be it! Alyson’s Olympic dream was sparked by watching former 2x Olympic Silver Medalist in short track speed skating and past CAN Fund Recipient Kalyna Roberge compete in Torino. Kalyna, like Alyson, is biracial and of Haitian descent. Alyson broke onto the international scene in the 2018/2019 season and in only 3 years she has already won 15 World Cup medals! She made her Olympic debut in Beijing and the sky’s the limit for Alyson who is just getting started.

Dawn Richardson Wilson - Bobsleigh, Edmonton, AB

2022 Olympian and CAN Fund #150Women Recipient

Going through the unimaginable of losing both of her parents by the age of 7, Dawn is the epitome of strength and perseverance. She has overcome so much in her life and channeled every challenge faced to become the best person and athlete she can. Beijing marked Dawn’s Olympic debut and at 22 years old she was one of the youngest bobsledders in Beijing. As a brakeman alongside pilot Cynthia Appiah the duo proved they belong amongst the world’s elite finishing 8th in the 2-woman event. Together they made history as Canada’s first Black 2-woman team! Remarkably Dawn has only been in the sport of Bobsleigh for 3 years and there is no doubt she will continue to break barriers with her sights set on Milan 2026.

Jordan Pierre-Gilles - Short Track Speed Skating, Sherbrooke, QC

2022 Olympic Gold Medalist and CAN Fund Recipient

“As a native French speaker, there is a saying that goes like this - gratitude is the memory of the heart. Heartfelt thanks to CAN FUND for helping make dreams become reality. As a Black athlete in short track, this kind of support fuels my drive to perform best at the highest levels, and inspire others to do the same no matter what their passion is. What I want to achieve, what I want to set, is an example for the others that are going to follow, and I want as much as possible a lot of diversity in the sport.” - Jordan Pierre-Gilles