National Team Program

As the National Sport Organization for Sport Climbing in Canada, Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC) is responsible for identifying, selecting, and supporting athletes with the highest potential for success on the international stage. Our mission is to set a high standard for performance, fostering an environment that promotes excellence and competitiveness.

CEC’s Podium Pathway identifies athletes in the Train to Compete, Learning to Win, and Winning for a Living stages of our Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) framework. While we support athletes at all these stages, it is crucial that each athlete competes at the appropriate level for their optimal development — whether national, continental, or international. This approach ensures athletes are both challenged and supported according to their growth, preparing them to meet the demands of their competitive pathway.

The National Team Program (NTP) is aligned with CEC’s high-performance strategies and those of our key funding partners, including Sport Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), and Own the Podium (OTP). This alignment provides athletes with the resources and opportunities needed to excel while fostering a strong development pipeline for the future of Canadian climbing.

National Team Program Policy

The National Team Program Policy outlines the structure and eligibility criteria for Canadian athletes in Sport Climbing aiming to compete internationally.

The NTP provides support on a calendar year basis (Jan 1st -Dec 31st). Athletes are selected on the National Team for the entire calendar year. Selected athletes will receive an invitation to join the National Team within 1 week following the High Performance Competition (discipline-specific)

The National Team is divided into 3 squads: