Got Olympic dreams? Scouts in London on Saturday could make them come true

If you think you've got the grit, determination, athletic prowess and commitment to make it to the Olympics, scouts from all sorts of sports want to see you at the RBC Training Ground this Saturday.

The unique scouting event is in London for the first time, taking place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Western University recreation centre.

"We do some basic anthropometric testing, so height, weight, wingspan. Then you go through a testing battery where you'll jump, you'll sprint, do some strength tests, and then a test to see what your aerobic endurance is," said Evan MacInnes, the technical director of the RBC Training Ground.

People who have a dream of going to the Olympics might not consider rowing or canoe-kayak or boxing until they're told by scouts that their body type or physical strength or speed would be a good match for the sport, MacInnes said.

"It's very infrequent for somebody to get general testing and then be identified to say, 'You could be great in these three sports,'" MacInnes said.

Anyone from ages 14 to 25 can come to the scouting event.

Since its inception seven years ago, seven athletes have been found by the training ground program and have won medals at the Olympics.

Kelsey Mitchell, for example, went from playing soccer to being directed to the sport of track cycling by the training ground program in 2017. She went on to win a gold medal at the Tokyo games. She'll be at the London event to speak about her experience, as will London native Sara Villani, who also went through the program and competes in bobsleigh.

"It's an identification process because it can be difficult to get into some types of sports. We're very familiar with basketball or hockey or soccer, but there are other less common sports that are just as great," said Miranda Ayim, a Londoner and Olympian who will be a the scouting event.

"You don't have to be an athlete already, that's the interesting thing. You can be a weekend warrior or someone who is active and just wants to test their mettle," she said.

Sports represented at the RBC Training Ground in London and looking for new talent will be: boxing, canoe kayak, sport climbing, wrestling, cycling, freestyle skiing, luge, rowing, rugby, speed skating, triathlon and volleyball.