Can you put a price tag on Team Canada?
The FISU World University Games is the second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympics, but the pride and national team experience comes at a cost
FISU Media
It’s an honour to compete for Team Canada–ask just about any athlete who’s done it. And competing at this year’s FISU World University Games will be no exception. But what is different? Each of the 50 athletes named to the team will have to scrounge up CA$5,400 to fund their trip and secure their spot on the roster.
For most of these athletes, FISU will be their debut in the Team Canada singlet, and many see it as their only chance to represent their country on the global stage. The event is also the next-largest multi-sport games to the Olympics, providing one of the best opportunities for young, aspiring Canadian athletes to gain Olympic experience. So, it’s easy to understand why, despite the large price tag, these athletes are so driven to attend.
A few months ago, when athletes declared their interest to compete at FISU, U Sports was upfront about the trip being self-funded and provided an estimate of cost, which included athlete travel, accommodations, food, uniforms and the podium kit. Some FISU Games in the past have required some funding, but this year’s trip is the priciest yet.
Covering the costs
As all of these athletes were university students for the 2024-2025 school year, many are only employed part-time. With numerous other university expenses–tuition, rent, groceries and varsity fees–many of these athletes are using fundraising methods, such as crowdfunding pages like GoFundMe, to cover their costs. Other athletes have turned down the opportunity due to the steep fee.
McMaster Marauder middle-distance athlete Alec Purnell says he is excited and proud to be representing Team Canada for the first time. “I’ve been running competitively since elementary school, and over the years I’ve been able to achieve a lot in the sport,” he told Canadian Running. “But the one thing that’s always been missing from my resume was making a national team and getting the chance to represent Canada on the world stage.”
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Purnell admitted that paying his way onto the team is no small ask. “As a student-athlete who trains 12–15 hours a week, is in school full-time, in addition to working a part-time job, finances are definitely something I have to be careful with. And this trip is a major expense,” he said. McMaster University and Hamilton’s Harbour Track Club will both contribute to subsidize the cost, but Purnell has still launched a GoFundMe for family and friends to chip in. Other schools, including the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph, have all chipped in to help their athletes cover these expenses.
For Tyra Boug, a hurdler and sprinter for the Western Mustangs, FISU will mark her third national team. “Having known people who have been to FISU before, I knew this was going to be an incredible experience,” she told Canadian Running. She’ll be joined by 11 of her current Mustang teammates and Western’s track and field head coach, Vickie Croley.
“When I heard FISU was going to be self-funded, it discouraged me from declaring interest,” Boug said. “I did not think it would be feasible for me in this case.” After discussing her options with coaches, she decided to declare her interest anyway and looked into fundraising options. After all, making the FISU team had been one of her goals for her entire university career.
But not everyone could make it work. Other athletes, such as multi-time U Sports 1,500m champion and record holder Max Davies of the University of Guelph, opted out of the event entirely due to the high costs. “It’s so expensive, especially for a university student,” he told Canadian Running. “But I understand why people are paying to go–it’s an amazing opportunity.”
According to U Sports, the first half of the payment from athletes must be submitted on June 6, and the remaining half by July 4.
What’s changed?
So, here’s the big question: why isn’t Athletics Canada (AC), the nation’s governing body for track and field, organizing and funding the trip?
This year, AC will have two primary focuses: the 2025 Canadian Track and Field Championships, which is scheduled for shortly after FISU on July 30-Aug. 3, and the Junior (U23) Pan Am Games from Aug. 9-23.
“While the age categories [for FISU and Junior Pan Ams] are not identical, the objectives are similar, offering a development opportunity for next-generation athletes,” AC told Canadian Running.
Athletics Canada says they have not been involved in any of the planning or decision-making processes for the World University Games: “We were pleased to see U Sports take the initiative to organize an athletics team for the World University Games, as it provides another international competition option for Canadian athletes.”
Because Team Canada is organized by U Sports, all athletes and coaches on the roster come from U Sports programs. Past Canadian teams have typically had athletes and coaches from both the NCAA and NAIA levels, and the decision to leave these athletes off the team has received a mix of responses. U Sports also organizes FISU teams for hockey and has previously done so for basketball and volleyball. All of these teams follow a pay-for-play mode
“This is an opportunity for student-athletes who choose to stay, train, and study in Canada to represent the country on the world stage,” a spokesperson for U Sports told Canadian Running.
The bigger problem
But what happens when those athletes can’t afford the opportunity? If their school isn’t one of the ones that can offer support? Or when top athletes go to the NCAA to have more financial support in athletics, only to be left off national teams altogether? Shouldn’t there be regulations in place to ensure Canadian athletes from across the country get equal support from their universities?
And then there’s the size of the FISU team: 50 athletes–more than AC sent to the Paris Olympics. Could a smaller, more focused team have made fundraising easier for everyone?
As Canadian Olympian and The Shakeout Podcast host, John Gay, puts it, FISU is the “best preparation there is for the Olympic Games.” So why isn’t Canadian athletics doing more to get its best collegiate athletes there?
