Alliance Sport-Études Gala: Outaouais Athletes Shine

Drazen Seslija

The Alliance Sport-Études annual gala was held on April 30 at Bain Mathieu in Montreal. The Outaouais region distinguished itself with the recognition of six student-athletes from the region for their academic and athletic excellence.

The six recipients from the region were Jean-Nicolas de Broeck (biathlon), William Doyon-Verdon (fencing), Mya Fortin (artistic swimming), Xavier Lusignan (weightlifting), Maxime Thérien (rock climbing), and Gracelyn Xiao (golf).

During the evening, more than 100 student-athletes from across Quebec were recognized, and 110 national scholarships, each worth $2,000, were awarded to recipients from more than 14 regions of Quebec. The Sport-Études Alliance, which awarded over $250,000 in regional and national scholarships in 2026, is entering its fifth decade and is continuing its core mission of providing financial support to high-level athletes pursuing college or university studies, thereby contributing to their academic success.

However, the Alliance offers much more than just financial support, explained Sébastien Fyfe, Executive Director of the Sport-Études Alliance. “There is also moral support, and numerous resources are available for student-athletes, including the presence of social work technicians and sports psychologists, among others,” he said. “Training sessions and webinars are provided to Alliance team members to better understand and equip young athletes. Young people have access to school schedules that are adapted to their high-performance athlete schedules. This is a commitment between the Alliance and the schools to give them every chance to succeed both academically and athletically.”

Four schools in the Outaouais region with high-performance athletes on their campuses are members of the Sport-Études Alliance: Cégep de l’Outaouais, Heritage College, Collège Universel, and Université du Québec en Outaouais.