Twenty Years of Hydro-Québec Support for the Foundation for Athletic Excellence

MONTREAL, Sept. 20, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - For the 20th consecutive year, Hydro-Québec has provided support to Quebec's most promising student-athletes by awarding 33 individual bursaries to the amounts of $2,000 or $4,000  through the Hydro-Québec Bursary Program, administered by the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence (FAEQ).

Four types of bursaries were awarded this year: 12 Academic Excellence bursaries to recognize outstanding scholastic achievements, 19 Academic and Athletic Support bursaries to encourage the successful balancing of academics and athletics, one Perseverance bursary to commend an exemplary attitude in the face of difficult circumstances, and one University Recruitment bursary to encourage a high-level student-athlete to pursue his academic and athletic endeavours at a Quebec university.

"We feel very pleased and lucky to be able to rely on loyal partners like Hydro-Québec. The Hydro-Québec bursary program has a successful 20-year track record and the company has assisted an impressive number of Olympic and Paralympic athletes and future leaders over the years. Established in 1997, the program provides support mainly to talented, emerging student-athletes who have been identified as Hopeful or Elite and are between 11 and 22 years of age. Over the past 20 years, Hydro-Québec has supported more than 400 student-athletes," stated Claude Chagnon, President of the FAEQ.

No fewer than 18 former Hydro-Québec Bursary Program recipients made their marks at the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, including tennis player Eugenie Bouchard; divers Jennifer Abel, Meaghan Benfeito, and Roseline Filion; swimmer Katerine Savard; judoka Antoine Valois-Fortier; wrestler Dorothy Yeats; and wheelchair basketball player Jonathan Vermette.

Eligibility Criteria

Student-athletes must have post-career plans, which often include a secondary, college, or university education. Besides being selected as Hopeful or Elite athletes by their sports federations, student-athletes must meet the eligibility criteria to represent Canada at the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, or World Championships for their sport. The Hydro-Québec scholarships are awarded to at least one student-athlete from each of the regions where the company operates.

Recipients of the 2017 Hydro-Québec Bursary Program

Academic Excellence - $2,000 bursaries - Hopeful Category
Name	Age	Sport	Hometown	School
Chenard, Jérémy	18	Karate, kumite	Gatineau	Cégep de l'Outaouais
Chrétien,  Charles-Étienne	18	Cycling, track and road	Amos	Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Hansen, Julia	16	Softball	Beaconsfield	Beaconsfield High School
Martineau, Marylou	16	Boccia, BC3	Québec (La Haute-Saint-Charles)	École Madeleine-Bergeron
Phan, Adriana	16	Track and Field, hurdles and long jump	Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu	Collège Jean de la Mennais
St-Georges, Cynthia	16	Curling	Laval	École secondaire Georges-Vanier
Academic Excellence - $4,000 bursaries - Elite Category
Antoniadès, Pavlos	17	Triathlon	Trois-Rivières	Collège Laflèche
Briand, Jérémy	22	Triathlon	Sainte-Julie	Université McGill
Gauthier, Sophie	14	Table Tennis	Repentigny	École secondaire Jean-Baptiste-Meilleur
Laroche, Florence	17	Soccer	Laval	Vanier College
Vallerand, Julianne	16	Soccer	Terrebonne	École secondaire Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry
Zhang, Eliana	15	Badminton	L'Île-Bizard	The Study High School
Academic and Athletic Support - $2,000 bursaries - Hopeful Category
Chabot, Fay	17	Olympic Boxing	Saint-Elzéar-de-Témiscouata	École secondaire de Cabano
Desjardins, Félix-Antoine	17	Football	Trois-Rivières	Cégep Limoilou
Kirouac-Marcassa, Thierry	19	Cycling, track and road	Boucherville	Cégep Édouard-Montpetit
Kouadio, Marc Wilhelm Anderson	15	Soccer	Pincourt	École secondaire du Chêne-Bleu
Omeonga, Jérémie	15	Soccer	St-Hubert	Collège Français
Paquette, Samuel	13	Tennis	Brossard	Académie Les Estacades
Paul-Hus, Anthony	18	Handball	St-Bonaventure	Cégep de Drummondville
St-Georges, Laurie	20	Curling	Laval	Université du Québec à Montréal
Tremblay, Nicolas	16	Baseball	Mont-Saint-Hilaire	École secondaire Fadette
Academic and Athletic Support - $4,000 bursaries - Elite Category
Bouffard, Félix-Antoine	21	Weightlifting	L'Île Bizard	Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe
Côté, Maxim	20	Judo	Sept-Îles	Cégep à distance
Cristofanilli, Zachary	21	Cross-Country Skiing	Orford	Cégep Garneau
Dusablon, Jade	23	Open Water Swimming	Québec (La Haute-Saint-Charles)	Université de Montréal
Jean, Émile	23	Cycling, track and road	Trois-Rivières	Polytechnique Montréal
Maltais, Félix	17	BMX	Drummondville	Cégep de Drummondville
Paquette, Alexandra	16	Archery	Quyon	École secondaire Grande-Rivière
Saint-Jean, Keven	20	Taekwondo	Terrebonne	Université du Québec à Trois- Rivières
Sanchez, Teo	20	Biathlon	Wakefield	Athabasca University
Valois, Jacob	19	Judo	Boucherville	Cégep Édouard-Montpetit
Perseverance - $2,000 bursaries
Verreault, Victor	17	Mountain Biking	St-Félicien	Cégep de St-Félicien
University Recruitment - $5,000 bursaries
Moore, Alex	19	Olympic Wrestling	Montréal (Côte-des-Neiges / Notre- Dame-de-Grâce)	Vanier College

About the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence (FAEQ)
The FAEQ (www.faeq.com) is unique thanks to its personal approach, diligent management, and influential role in the realm of sport and education. In 2017, the Foundation will award $1,350,000 to 475 student-athletes in addition to offering support services and assisting with academic orientation and the successful balancing of sport and studies. The FAEQ is moved to action by a genuine desire to unite with former bursary recipients and sponsors for the success of the next generation of bursary recipients, thereby making a difference in their academic, athletic, and/or personal development. Note that from September 22-23-24, 2017, Mont-Tremblant will host the Bonneville 808 Challenge, a major cycling event benefitting the FAEQ. Registration is still open at: www.defi808bonneville.com.

SOURCE Hydro-Québec

(the following telephone numbers are for the exclusive use of journalists and other media representatives): Carolyne Hudson, Advisor - Donations and Sponsorships, Hydro-Québec, Telephone: [phone] ext. 2290, [email protected]; Annie Pelletier, Communications Director, Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence, Telephone: [phone] ext. 3538, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.hydroquebec.com