Canada’s Multicultural Athletic Edge

World-leading sports psychology will give Canadian Olympians a leg up.
Canada’s Multicultural Athletic Edge
Canada’s Alex Bruce (L) and Michele Li celebrate their victory over Australia’s Leanne Choo and Renuga Veeran during their women’s double badminton quarterfinals match at the London Olympics on Aug. 1, 2012. Originally from Hong Kong, Li has lived in Canada since she was 6 years old. Some of Canada’s best athletes come from other countries. (Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/GettyImages)
Matthew Little
8/1/2012
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img class="size-full wp-image-1783917" title="Canada's Alex Bruce and Michele Li (R) c" src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/olympic.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="550"/></a>

TORONTO—For a country born of immigration, fuelled in part today by the ingenuity and experience of its newcomers, there’s a distinct advantage to being the world leader in multicultural sports psychology.

Some of Canada’s best athletes come from other countries.

With up to 20 percent of Canada’s elite athletes born in another country, understanding how their cultural background factors into their sports performance can play a major role in coaching them to success.

That point is compounded by the fact psychology becomes a critical advantage in a world where fractions of a second separate the medalists from the forgotten.