Speed Skating Canada’s national competitions declared True Sport events for 2024-25 season

Participants will be encouraged to bring True Sport Principles to life through their actions on and off the ice

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – With the start of the season just around the corner, Speed Skating Canada is proud to announce that all of the organization’s national competitions for the 2024-25 campaign have been declared True Sport events.

In recognition of the belief that good sport can make a great difference, Speed Skating Canada and this season’s 11 national event hosts will work together to help foster an environment where the True Sport Principles are at the heart of this season’s competitions, helping demonstrate our belief that sport has the potential to instill character, strengthen communities, and increase opportunities for personal excellence.

“As a passionate champion of True Sport and all that it stands for, Speed Skating Canada is proud to announce that our 2024-25 national competitions have been declared True Sport events. We are excited to introduce the True Sport Principles to speed skaters from across the country and do our part to help create a culture that is inclusive, welcoming, respectful, and fair for all participants.” - Alexandra Proulx , Manager, Culture and Safe Sport, Speed Skating Canada

Through this commitment to True Sport, athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and spectators taking part in these competitions will be encouraged to bring the True Sport Principles – as well as fairness, respect, inclusion, gratitude and fun – to life through their actions on and off the ice, thereby making a statement about the kind of sport they want to be a part of.

Event participants will have the opportunity to learn about values-based sport through several initiatives, including:

• The creation of True Sport Champion Awards to be presented at Youth Championships
• Celebration of good sport moments on social media using the #TrueSportMoments hashtag
• Interactive True Sport workshops for participating athletes during Youth Championships
• Inclusion of True Sport branding within venues and publications

“We are pleased to see Speed Skating Canada activate their commitment to True Sport. This intentional effort to embrace values-based sport through the True Sport Principles will help contribute to a positive culture at their national events and create experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. Instilling character in participants through positive sport experiences is a great way to ensure a fair, safe, inclusive and fun environment in which to pursue personal and sporting excellence.” - Karri Dawson , Executive Director, Values-Based Sport, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport / Centre canadien pour l’éthique dans le sport