The Canadian contingent of athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics represented the nation with pride and brought home handfuls of medals for their efforts.
Canada finished eighth overall in the medal count after claiming 21 medals, including five gold.
Among those representing the maple leaf, were a dozen competitors who have received support from the Calgary Booster Club through the Art Smith Amateur Sport Legacy Fund over the years.
Isabelle Weidemann – the winner of a gold medal in the long-track speed skating women’s team pursuit at Milano Cortina – received funding through the endowment fund on multiple occasions. The 30-year-old, who grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, added to her impressive medal haul, which included gold, silver and bronze medals at Beijing in 2022.
Two other long-track speed skaters who competed in Milano Cortina were also supported by the Calgary Booster Club fund. Brooklyn McDougall finished 19th in the women’s 500-metre event, while Anders Johnson ended up in 16th in the men’s 500-metre race and 22nd in the 1,000-metre competition.
A pair of freestyle skiers – Amy Fraser and Dylan Marineau – had strong showings at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Fraser narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth in the women’s halfpipe, while Marineau placed 11th in the men’s halfpipe.
Female bobsledders Cynthia Appiah and Melissa Lotholz were in the mix in monobob and the two-woman events. Competing in her second Winter Olympics, Appiah finished 13th in monobob and 14th in the two-woman bobsleigh. Lotholz, of Barrhead, Alberta, was taking part in her third Olympic Games. She finished sixth in monobob and 13th in the two-woman competition.
Lethrbridge-born Taylor Austin improved on his showing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics by finishing 18th in the two-man bobsleigh and 14th in the four-man in Italy.
Calgarian Devin Wardrope, a 2024 recipient of the Art Smith endowment fund, made his Olympic debut and finished 10th in men’s doubles in luge.
Also making her Olympic debut was ski jumper Nicole Maurer, who placed 19th on the women’s individual normal hill and 20th on the individual large hill.
Snowboarder Brooke D’Hondt ended up in 23rd place in the women’s halfpipe during her second Olympic appearance.
The Para ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, which takes place from March 7-15, will see Zach Lavin represent Canada. Lavin, a 2024 Art Smith endowment fund recipient, won silver at the 2022 Paralympic Games in Beijing.
ABOUT THE FUND
The Art Smith Amateur Sport Legacy Fund is a partnership between the Calgary Booster Club and the Parks Foundation Calgary. Together these two groups have created and will continue to build an endowment fund to provide much needed assistance for amateur athletes. Because The Art Smith Amateur Sport Legacy is an endowment fund, your gift can be used now and will still be at work for many years to come.
This fund is named in honour of Art Smith, a founding member of the Calgary Booster Club, who was universally recognized as a great Canadian and popularly known as Mr. Calgary.
Related Link: Art Smith Endowment Grant – Calgary Booster Club
