« Like many others on this team, I sacrificed financially, physically, mentally, and personally to represent Canada on the international stage. I paid thousands of dollars out of pocket to race across the world, qualify spots for Worlds, and keep this program alive because I believed in what it could become.

What hurts the most is not just the cancellation itself, it’s the lack of accountability and support that led us here.

Year after year, athletes were expected to perform with minimal preparation, limited resources, and no clear long-term direction. We had roughly 30 days together annually to prepare for Continental Championships, Nations Cups, and World Championships, while competing against nations with fully supported programs operating year-round.

When results didn’t meet expectations, the responsibility fell entirely on the athletes.

Meanwhile, many of the fundamental pieces required to build a competitive high-performance program are missing:
* limited preparation time
* no consistent long-term performance plan
* lack of aero testing due to cost
* insufficient technical and tactical support
* constant instability within the program

The hardest part is knowing that this group of women is incredibly talented. Individually, many of us have continued getting stronger every year, yet as a team, performances stagnated. That should raise difficult questions about the system supporting us, not just the athletes within it.

This program deserved better.

The athletes deserved better.

I’m proud of every teammate who continued showing up despite the frustration, uncertainty, and sacrifices required simply to compete. None of this happened because the athletes stopped caring or stopped working hard enough.

Behind every result were athletes doing everything they could with what they were given.

And that’s exactly why this hurts so much. »

Lily Plante, facebook, 8 mai 2026

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