Recent athlete survey suggests that mentorship is equally important as
coaching and funding, crucial to success in and out of sporting arena
TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) is proud to announce Olympic and Commonwealth
gold-medal gymnast Kyle Shewfelt and multiple Paralympic gold-medalist
and world champion swimmer Stephanie Dixon as the two newest CIBC Team
Next mentors.
CIBC Team Next is a $2 million investment to assist 67 athletes who
aspire to realize their dreams and represent Canada on the world stage.
In addition to providing amateur athletes with financial support, the
program will offer invaluable opportunities to develop important career
and life skills, along with important mentorship from world-class
Canadian athletes.
In a recent national surveyi of current and past high-performance Canadian athletes, three-quarters
stated that having an athlete mentor is as important as having a great
coach, and almost half (46 per cent) say it is as important as having
the funding to compete.
Additionally, nearly two-thirds of respondents believe that athlete
mentors are capable of helping them manage the ups and downs they face
in and outside of sport, and managing pressure to perform and succeed.
Almost 30 per cent also feel that athlete mentors can help them achieve
sport-life balance, which they state as the second biggest challenge
they face as amateur athletes, next to managing their finances.
The addition of Ms. Dixon and Mr. Shewfelt to the previously announced
list of mentors - including Simon Whitfield, Bruny Surin, Kara Lang,
Josh Cassidy, Mary Spencer and Mark de Jonge - will give CIBC Team Next
athletes unprecedented access to an awe-inspiring roster of former
elite level athletes, each with unique perspectives, experiences and
wisdom to impart.
"I am thrilled to be a mentor and share my experiences with future
Canadian sporting heroes," said Mr. Shewfelt. "I think it's essential
for those of us who have had a positive sporting experience to give
back. What I love most about the program is that it not only helps
athletes and their families fund the often expensive journey, but it
also provides emerging elite athletes with some really valuable tools
to use in their life beyond sport. I learned so much from my mentors in
the pursuit of my athletic dream and I'm honoured to play a role in
helping the next generation reach their full potential!"
"A key reason we chose to become Lead Partner of the TORONTO 2015 Pan
Am/Parapan Am Games was our desire to create a lasting sport legacy in
Canada," said Richard Nesbitt, Chief Operating Officer, CIBC. "One of
the ways to ensure that legacy is to provide our next generation of
athletes with the kind of support they need to succeed."
"Mentorship is absolutely critical for aspiring athletes and we are
proud to welcome Stephanie and Kyle aboard to help guide, inspire and
empower Canada's future stars," said Mr. Nesbitt.
The 67 athletes selected to the CIBC Team Next roster will be announced
in November. Each of the 67 athletes will receive:
-
A $5,000 annual grant for the next three years ($15,000 total);
-
Mentorship from prominent Canadian athletes;
-
Workshops and advice on personal finances, post-secondary and career
planning, social media training and public speaking;
-
Exclusive access to the CIBC Team Next idea sharing forum;
-
Community support and networking opportunities through the local CIBC
branches and employees in their home community;
-
Preferred CIBC products and services.
The program is being administered for CIBC by AthletesCAN and Canadian
Sport Institute Ontario. For more information on the program please
visit facebook.com/cibc.
CIBC's investment of $2 million in the program is in addition to $2
million legacy investments already committed in support of Canada's
youth related to the Pan/Parapan Am Games, including sport-related CIBC
Youthvision scholarships, and programs for Aboriginal youth.
CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 11 million
personal banking and business clients. CIBC offers a full range of
products and services through its comprehensive electronic banking
network, branches and offices across Canada, and has offices in the
United States and around the world. You can find other news releases
and information about CIBC in our Press Centre on our corporate website
at www.cibc.com.
_______________
i National survey of 248 current and former Canadian amateur athletes,
conducted by Survey Monkey from October 4 - 8, 2013.
SOURCE Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Image with caption: "Gymnast Kyle Shewfelt joins CIBC Team Next as a mentor (CNW Group/Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131017_C4541_PHOTO_EN_32131.jpg
Image with caption: "Paralympic Swimmer Stephanie Dixon joins CIBC Team Next as a mentor (CNW Group/Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131017_C4541_PHOTO_EN_32124.jpg
Image with caption: "Paralympic Swimmer Stephanie Dixon joins CIBC Team Next as a mentor (CNW Group/Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131017_C4541_PHOTO_EN_32126.jpg
