This year’s A Chosen Journey: RBC Indigenous Partnership Report is a celebration of the promise, excellence and talent in Indigenous communities, the impact organizations, communities and community members are making and the power of teamwork. From the forests to the velodrome to the Arctic Circle and everywhere in between, our community partners are finding new ways of winning and protecting traditional ways of being. This story is an excerpt from this report.

“I’ve always dreamed of being a professional athlete,” recalls Taylor Duffy, a rising track cycling star who was raised in a remote community called Thompson in northern Manitoba. Living somewhere that was all about hockey, he felt his track and field progress was limited by the snow. That all changed when RBC Training Ground came to his hometown and his coach encouraged him to try out.

After multiple tryouts at the nationwide talent search program, he was finally named an RBC Future Olympian — the recognition given to RBC Training Ground’s top 30 athletes every year. These athletes receive funding and support to continue pursuing their Olympic dreams, which is critical for high performance athletes.

Since then, he’s been making strides in his sport while giving back, motivating Indigenous athletes, serving as a role model at the RBC Training Ground qualifier in Edmonton, the national final in Toronto and the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) canoe relay in Halifax.

At the national final, he supported a new generation of Canadian athletes aspiring to be Olympians, and at the NAIG, as part of the RBC Training Ground event, he cheered on athletes, teams and participants with fellow RBC Olympian Eden Wilson.

Cycling has taken Duffy across Canada and into the U.S. over the past year, and he’s eager to see where else it will take him.

“Taylor is an amazing individual. He’s motivated, humble and loves to give back. Since getting to know him, I’ve seen him grow into a leader not only on the track but in the community. I love that he’s more than just an athlete — he uses his platform to inspire,” says Sam Effah, RBC Brand Manager

Now in its ninth year, the RBC Training Ground helps identify and support athletes who have Olympic potential with funding and mentorship. It’s free and open to anyone ages 14-25 with an Olympic dream. Athletes undergo testing with national sports organizations and Team Canada scouts looking on.

When Duffy tried out, Cycling Canada reached out, and hearing how they believed in his abilities, he moved back in with his family to train full time and see where things would go. “This is probably the only opportunity I’ll ever have to follow this dream of being a professional athlete, and you’re only young once,” he explains.

Cycling was one of Duffy’s first loves growing up, watching races on TV, reading books and articles, and watching YouTube videos. It didn’t seem like there was a venue for his passion in his hometown, so the opportunity that came from RBC Training Ground was exciting. “The fact that Cycling Canada was the national sports organization that wanted to work with me, and that I’ve been able to progress so far in the sport in such a short amount of time, it’s amazing. I love it all. Of course, you have bad days out there. But a bad day on the bike is still a top five day overall,” he grins. To stay motivated, Duffy thinks of everyone who has supported him along the way, and he pushes through the tough days to honour their belief in him. His advice to aspiring athletes coming from small towns is “Don’t let the environment or your mentality hold you back. There can be a lot that’s going on around you. But as long as you focus on your dream, and you’re a strong dreamer, then it is obtainable. Anything’s obtainable if you put your mind to it.”

As an Indigenous athlete, Duffy is proud to be from Lytton First Nation, and he enjoys creating Salish art in his spare time. An art piece he created to be raffled off to raise money for a powwow hangs in his chief’s office, and his cousin is making him a beaded medallion to wear at events. His family moved to Thompson when he was young and he hasn’t had the chance to spend as much time in his birthplace as he would like, but he hopes that changes over time

Duffy’s family has played a big part in his success. Growing up, Duffy’s dad ran and cycled too, inspiring him to do the same. Now, his family keeps the fridge stocked with all the food a high-performance athlete needs to succeed and makes sure he can devote his full attention to his sport. Training twice daily in the gym and on the bike, he spends the rest of his time recovering from his workouts. He holds a part-time job and helps at home when he can, but he has big dreams ahead. “I don’t just want to be a great athlete. I want to be one of the greats. When people think of track cycling or cycling, I want them to think of me one day,” he declares.

Another contributor to his success has been the support of RBC. “It’s been amazing. Of course, there’s the sponsorship aspect and then partnering you with the national sports organization. Outside of going 100 miles a minute every day training, I still get to travel to Toronto or Halifax and take part in the national final as a face of the program and to NAIG and do motivational speaking to young Indigenous athletes. Sam Effah has been a great mentor in sport and I always love hearing from him and the opportunities he brings up,” Duffy shares.

Taylor Duffy has always dreamed of being a professional athlete, and now his dreams are coming true. Moving from a small northern town to Edmonton to train, supported by family, friends and the Future Olympians program through RBC Training Ground, he’s on track to reaching his track cycling goals. Encouraging other up-and-coming Indigenous athletes along the way, he’s leading the pack and not looking back.

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