Olympic bobsledder Cynthia Appiah is thousands of dollars in debt for her sled's runners and for travel to competition.
A monthly cheque of $1,765 — $1,060 for a development-level athlete — is for living expenses and competition costs their sport's governing body doesn't cover. The latest ask, which would be an increase of 18.8 per cent, is independent of a joint demand by the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees for a injection of $104 million into the sport system.
The AAP, worth $21,000 annually, is the primary source of income in many athletes' financial traplines that can also include provincial grants, prize money or sponsorships. Her teammate Lotholz wants her World Cup status back after taking a year off of racing to complete her University of Alberta degree.
Proske was a member of the women's eights that captured Olympic rowing gold in Tokyo. The 37-year-old from Langley, B.C., is now vice-president of AthletesCan, which is an association representing national athletes.