You might be unfamiliar with the Royal City Athletics Club (RCAC), but their athletes are certainly making noise on the track (and field), winning five gold medals and qualifying six athletes for the Paris Olympics at the Bell Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Trials in June. This high-performance, semi-pro club from Guelph, Ont., now makes up an impressive 13 per cent of Team Canada’s track and field roster for Paris. What’s their secret to success?
Two weeks ago, six Royal City Athletics club athletes were nominated to Team Canada’s squad headed to Paris: Jacqueline Madogo (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay), Zoë Sherar (400m, 4x400m relay), Craig Thorne (110m hurdles), Jesse Zesseu (Para ambulatory discus and long jump), Lucia Stafford (1,500m) and Jazz Shukla (800m).
Clearly, these coaches are doing something–or many things–right. As a member of Royal City Athletics Club’s middle-distance program myself, I experience firsthand their dedication to achieving results while making the process exciting and enjoyable for all of their athletes.
The history of RCAC
Royal City Athletics Club was founded in 2021 by Toronto’s Mike Sherar. Since then, club manager and jumps coach Paul Galas, sprints coach Jason Kerr and endurance coach Terry Radchenko have created a culture of openness and strong communication, allowing them to serve athletes’ needs well and make decisions together.
Their goal is to make the program the best in the country. “A major contributor to the club’s success is the fact that the coaches get along and work together to make sure every group can be successful,” Radchenko says. The club’s collaboration (and affiliation) with the University of Guelph’s cross-country and track-and-field teams make for the perfect high-performance environment.
There are many moving parts that are essential for athletes trying to be the best in the healthiest way: manual therapists, performance coaches, strength coaches, academic support teams and mental performance coaches all play important roles. In addition, the athletes, heavily influenced by teammates, need to be around other athletes who are equally motivated. Radchenko, Kerr and Galas also coach the Guelph Gryphons track and field team, which just won its sixth consecutive men’s and women’s team titles at the U Sports Championships back in March.
Photo: Scott Peel
Getting to the Olympic level
Radchenko believes that the university program puts people on a path to learn, grow as individuals and be consistent, to come out on top in the years following their graduation. “For most Olympians it’s about consistency throughout university, progressing as an athlete and person, and continuing that as a post-collegiate athlete when most big breakthroughs happen,” says Radchenko.
It’s just as important to focus on finding athletes with the psychological disposition to be disciplined for a long period of time–the “it” factor, as Kerr calls it. “We all want to want it, but it’s rare to find someone who can wake up daily with the extreme discipline and desire to keep working hard to be the best,” he says. The coaches aren’t looking to recruit only the most talented individuals. Knowing that attitude and sportsmanship are two important aspects of a team, finding good athletes who are also good people is a must.
Expectations for Paris 2024
Radchenko and Kerr are heading to Spain on July 22 for Team Canada’s Olympic training camp. The next few weeks will be focused on putting the athletes in a position to be at their best, mentally and physically, in time for Paris. The track and field events begin on Aug. 1.
Although most of these athletes are first-time Olympians, they’ve competed at the elite level for years. “They have the maturity and the experience to maximize their athletic performances, go out there and compete,” says Kerr. He believes the Canadian relay teams all have good chances of earning a medal, while personal bests and some trips to the semi-finals are very much on the table.
Photo: Kevin Morris
Following the Games, Radchenko notes that the focus will be taking advantage of the lessons learned from the Olympic experience. “Afterwards, the athletes will continue to develop, making any necessary tweaks and coming back even better in the future.” he says.
Both coaches know that the sport of track and field is incredibly taxing mentally and physically. “Our job is to make the everyday grind the most fun and exciting place a young person can be,” Kerr says. “This team aims to make their hard work feel as rewarding as possible.”
