OLG is proud to be a longstanding supporter of amateur athletes in Ontario. This year, the Quest for Gold tickets feature seven Ontario amateur athletes who have received Quest for Gold funding during their careers.

Mariam Abdul-Rashid – Athletics

Oshawa, Ontario

 

Growing up in Oshawa, Mariam Abdul-Rashid began track at age six with the Durham Legion Athletics Club, harbouring Olympic dreams from an early age. She took up hurdling in elementary school and competed for The Speed Academy Athletics Club during high school. Mariam became an eight-time OFSAA champion, earning one silver medal and setting an OFSAA 400m hurdle record. At 16, she placed fifth in the 400m hurdles at the World Junior Championships, earning a full scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin where she competed from 2015 to 2019. After graduating from college, Mariam pivoted her focus towards the 100m hurdles. Returning home to Ontario, she began training for the 2020 Olympics and although she did not qualify, she persevered, making the senior national team in Budapest, Hungary for the 2023 World Championships. In March 2024, she placed ninth at the 2024 World Indoor Championships with a new personal best of 7.99 in the 60m hurdles. She is hoping to make her Olympic debut at the 2024 games in Paris.

Khamica Bingham-Forbes – Athletics

North York / Caledon, Ontario

 

Khamica Bingham-Forbes is a track and field sprinter in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. Born in North York and now residing in Caledon, she competed for the University of Toronto before transferring to York University, where she broke three collegiate records and earned a degree in Humanities. Representing Canada at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, Khamica has made significant contributions to the sport.

A three-time 100m National Champion (2015, 2022 and 2023) and a two-time Pan Am Games medalist (2015 and 2019), Khamica has demonstrated her exceptional speed and talent. Notably, she broke a national record at the 2015 IAAF World Championships by anchoring the women’s 4x100m relay in an impressive 42.60 seconds. At just 20 years old, she was the sole Canadian, male or female, to qualify for a 100m final at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Beyond her athletic achievements, Khamica is dedicated to motivational speaking and community engagement. She shares her story with students and organizations, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the role of faith in overcoming challenges such as loss, racial barriers, and setbacks. Khamica's commitment to inspiring others reflects her passion for making a positive impact beyond the track.

Charlotte Bolton – Paralympic Athletics

Tillsonburg, Ontario

 

Charlotte Bolton is a Paralympian from Tillsonburg, Ontario. Her paralympic journey started at the Woodstock Legion Athletics Club, and during her grade 11 year of high school, she intensified her training efforts. In November 2019, she began training full-time in Toronto, while simultaneously finishing her grade 12 year online. She made the Canadian Team, competing in Tokyo in 2020 and coming in sixth in both shot put and discus events. In 2023, she competed in the Para Pan American Games, earning a bronze medal in discus. As of October 2023, Charlotte holds all three Canadian throwing records in the women’s F41 for shotput, javelin and discus. She is also ranked in the top 10 in the world for shotput and discus. Charlotte is currently training full time, hoping to make the 2024 Paris Paralympic team. She plans to return to school to study art at George Brown College.

Kyra Constantine – Athletics

Toronto / Brampton, Ontario

 

Kyra Constantine is originally from Toronto and currently lives in Brampton. While attending high school, she was an eight-time OFSAA Champion in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. She still currently holds the grade nine girls 400m OFSAA record.

Kyra made her Team Canada debut while she was still in high school at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, where she was a finalist in the girls 400m. In 2015, Kyra made her second Canadian team at the World Youth Championships in Cali Colombia, becoming a finalist in the girls 400m and a medalist in the first ever mixed 4x400m relay.

After high school, Kyra attended the University of Southern California where she became a nine-time NCAA All American, a Pan Am Junior silver and bronze medalist, and a NACAC U23 gold and bronze medalist. Upon graduation, Kyra began her professional career, becoming a two-time World Championship Finalist, Olympic Games Finalist, World Relays Bronze Medalist, Pan American Games Silver Medalist, and a Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist.

Danny Demyanenko – Volleyball

Toronto, Ontario

 

Danny Demyanenko, from Toronto, represents the Canadian Men’s Volleyball Team. His volleyball journey began at 14, starting with beach volleyball and progressing to indoor, where he proudly wore the Canadian jersey at both junior and senior levels. For seven years, he competed in the esteemed French Championship, first in Toulouse and then in Montpelier, where the Canadian team triumphed and clinched the prestigious title. Now embarking on a new chapter, he is eager to tackle the challenge of the Italian Championship, aiming to test his skills against the world's best. As the anticipation builds for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Danny is filled with pride knowing he’ll represent Canada on the grandest stage. With the unwavering support of fans worldwide, the team is looking to leave an indelible mark on volleyball history, and to embodying the spirit of Canadian athleticism and sportsmanship.

Gabriel Ferron-Bouius – Paralympic Sprint Kayak

Ottawa, Ontario

 

Gabriel Ferron-Bouius, from Ottawa, is a Canadian national team para sprint kayaker and trains at the Rideau Canoe Club. Born with fibular hemimelia, he is a right-leg, below-the-knee amputee. Although Gabriel started his sports career playing hockey, he switched to kayak after attending a paralympic talent  identification camp in 2016 and has been a member of the Canadian senior national team for sprint kayak for the last four years. He is a four-time national champion and Canadian record holder in the Men’s KL3 200m race. Internationally, he placed second at the 2021 Pan Am Championships, and 17th at the 2023 World Championships. When not training, Gabriel is exploring the outdoors, enjoying time with family and friends, and defying what it means to live with a physical disability. He currently attends Carleton University, studying biomedical mechanical engineering.

Ydris Hunter – Canoe, Sprint Kayak​

Ottawa, Ontario

 

Ydris Hunter, lives in Ottawa and is a Canadian canoe and sprint kayaker. He competed in the 2022 Canada Games​ and was a 2022/2023 Ontario Team member. He has represented Canada at various competitions, including the 2017 and 2018 Olympic Hopes Regatta and the 2021 Junior Worlds Regatta where he finished second in the 500m SR Men’s Canoe A final. He works as a competitive racing coach, previously leading a U13 sprint development group in British Columbia, and is currently coaching at the Rideau Canoe Club in Ottawa. He attends Carleton University, studying industrial design.