Sarah Chaudhery, Swayze Waters, Ryan Mulder, and Sean-Michael Stephen encouraged and empowered student athletes at ‘Canada Day Together’ event
July 21, 2022
TORONTO — Fellowship of Christian Athletes Canada (FCA Sports) joined with the rest of Canada to celebrate Canada Day on July 1, but with a unique opportunity for young athletes. This year, FCA Sports launched the highly anticipated “Pro-Athlete Experience” at the “Canada Day Together” event in Mississauga on July 1, 2022. The unique event offered a select number of student athletes ages ten-16 to spend one-on-one time with one of four former professional athletes and learn what it really means to go pro and play with purpose.
The event was an astounding success, with an estimated 20,000 people attending the Canada Day Together Festival event — a sizable leap from the record 9,000 in 2019 (the last event since COVID-19).
FCA Sports Divisional Vice President Hans Ostrem stated, “What an amazing event! God did some incredible things and many community relationships were built! We are still reviewing the numbers of students who passed through our ‘Pro-Athlete’ and Multi-Sport experiences, but the lines were the longest we have ever seen. We even extended the time slightly to accommodate some extra students as the demand was VERY high. Given the success of the ‘Pro-Athlete Experience,’ our staff is already brainstorming how we can do more of these type events in the future, partnering with professional athletes to work alongside students in order to engage, equip and empower the next generation!”
The athletes featured in the experience include Canadian Olympian Sarah Chaudhery, former Toronto Argonauts football player Swayze Waters, former pro-hockey player Ryan Mulder, and former pro-rugby player Sean-Michael Stephen.
Read more about Fellowship of Christian Athletes Canada (canadafca.org) or visit FCA International’s website at www.fca.org. Follow FCA Canada on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/canadafca or its Instagram https://www.instagram.com/canadafca/.
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