For immediate release
VICTORIA (January 13th, 2026) – Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, in partnership with viaSport, are proud to announce the unveiling of the 12 athletes selected for our new Athlete Ambassador Program. They compete in a wide array of sports and are spread out in regions throughout British Columbia.
The ambassadors will be split between two distinct types of ambassadorships: Four national level athletes will be Game Plan Ambassadors, while eight provincial level athletes will be Playsafe Ambassadors.
The 2026 Game Plan Ambassadors are:
The 2026 PlaySafe Ambassadors are:
Program Information
This program was created to foster a positive and safe sporting culture across the province. The ultimate goal is to increase awareness of the importance of a holistic approach and safer participation on athletes’ careers. Each month a new featured athlete will share what good sport looks like in their athletic and everyday pursuits through personal stories on Instagram. They will show how their commitmenthas contributed to a positive values-based sport culture designed to protect participants from threats such as maltreatment and maximize the positive benefits of sport.
Ambassadors receive leadership training, storytelling opportunities, and community outreach tools to influence sport culture at the local and provincial levels. Representing their regions, these athletes contribute to a growing network of youth leaders committed to fostering integrity, inclusion, and well-being in sport across British Columbia.
Anna Kozniuk, Manager of Performance Programs at Canadian Sport Institute Pacific:
“We are incredibly excited to roll out our new Athlete Ambassador program. This will be an incredible growth and leadership opportunity for these twelve incredible athletes, while also allowing community members, businesses and organizations from throughout B.C. to learn more about what it takes to be a high performance athlete. This program will benefit the athletes and community partners, while also highlighting the importance of True Sport and PlaySafe, which benefits the greater community at the same time.”
Andrea Wooles, Safety Manager, viaSport:
“We’re thrilled to be a partner in the new Athlete Ambassador program run by the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. We’ve seen the impact that athletes at provincial and national levels can have on younger athletes who look up to them, and we’re proud to help give their voices a platform. This program is based on the True Sport Nova Scotia Athlete Ambassador program, which over four years has had a huge positive impact not just on athletes, but on their coaches, teams, and communities. A huge thank you to Sport Nova Scotia and the Canadian Olympic Committee for helping us show British Columbia what phenomenal people are representing them in different sports.”
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To meet the ambassadors and learn more about the programs, please visit our website at https://www.csipacific.ca/our-programs/athlete-ambassador-program/
About CSI Pacific: Powering Performance. Inspiring Excellence.
Offering world-class Olympic and Paralympic training environments in Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, Canadian Sport Institute Pacific (www.csipacific.ca) is committed to Powering Performance. Inspiring Excellence.
Working with national sport organizations and fueled by our national and provincial partners such as Sport Canada, viaSport, Own the Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Coaches Association of Canada, we are driven by our mantra to Collaborate. Serve. Innovate. Perform.
Our team of sport science, sport medicine, coaching & life services experts provide leading-edge programs and services to athletes and coaches to ensure they have every advantage to win medals for Canada.
About viaSport:
viaSport British Columbia is a not-for-profit organization established in 2011, responsible for providing strategic leadership to sport in BC and increasing levels of physical activity at every stage of life, in every community. Formed in partnership with the provincial sport sector and the Province of BC, viaSport is shaping a new, more effective model for sport delivery and funding support which drives increased participation, powers sport excellence and unifies all sport-related activity throughout the province
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About PlaySafe:
PlaySafe is an online hub that provides tools and training to help individuals foster positive and safe experiences in sport and recreation.
It was developed by viaSport BC for participants at all levels of sport, recreation, and physical activity, with support from the Province of BC.
