The Olympic Games are historically one of the highest athletic accolades to achieve. Making it to the games alone is a massive accomplishment, let alone walking away with a podium finish. At the recent 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games, 9 EPIC athletes travelled to Italy, representing three countries. Four ice hockey players: Nick Suzuki (men’s hockey), Julia Gosling (women’s hockey), Natalie Spooner (women’s hockey), Ella Shelton (women’s hockey); four figure skaters: Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko (Team USA), Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morati (Team Japan); and one women’s curler: Sarah Wilkes.
Nick Suzuki was born and raised in London, Ontario, where he developed the hockey skills that would eventually lead him to an Olympic roster spot. The Montreal Canadiens captain made an impact in his Olympic debut, first scoring in the group-stage game against Czechia to help Canada secure the win. He then scored the game-tying goal in the dying minutes of the quarterfinal against Czechia, where Canada won in overtime. In the gold medal game, Canada fell short to the United States in a 2-1 overtime final, giving Canada the silver medal. Nick is now continuing in the NHL with the Canadiens, who are looking to lock in a playoff spot this year.
EPIC is fortunate enough to be the training home to three members of Team Canada’s Olympic Women’s hockey team. Julia Gosling, Natalie Spooner, and Ella Shelton continuously demonstrate hard work in the gym, and that translates to international ice. London local Julia Gosling finished the tournament with three goals and two assists, scoring all three on Canadian power plays, making her one of the top producers of the tournament in her Olympic debut. Olympic veteran and Scarborough native, Natalie Spooner, scored Canada’s opening goal of the tournament after recently recovering from a serious ACL injury. She adds a silver medal to her collection of two golds (2014, 2022) and one silver (2018). Canada stayed strong at the blue line with Ella Shelton contributing heavily to the team. In her second Olympics, she assisted on three goals across three games, providing steady defensive play and offensive support. Canada faced the U.S. in the gold medal final, where the Americans captured gold in a 2-1 overtime finish, giving the Canadian women another silver medal.
Another London local made her mark at the Olympics, as a member of Canada’s women’s curling team, Sarah Wilkes, worked alongside her teammates to reach the podium in Milano Cortina. Wilkes entered the Olympic Games as a highly decorated curler, having already won two World Championships (2024, 2025) and two Scotties Tournaments of Hearts titles (2024, 2025). Playing the lead position, Wilkes was responsible for setting the tone at the start of each end by throwing the first two stones. Her role proved crucial in Canada’s 10-7 victory over the United States in the bronze medal match, earning a podium finish in her Olympic debut.
EPIC has become home to a number of talented figure skaters, including Team USA duo Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko. Leading into the Olympics, Christina and Anthony had just won a bronze medal at the 2026 U.S. Championships, which helped secure their spots on the Olympic roster. In their debut, they placed 11th overall among the skating pairs and achieved season-best scores in both the rhythm dance and free dance segments. EPIC was also lucky enough to be the training ground for Team Japan ice dancers, Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morati. The pair made their Olympic debut as back-to-back Japanese National Champions (2025, 2026), competing only in the team event, coached by Canadian figure skating legend Scott Moir. Utana and Masaya placed 8th in the rhythm dance, contributing three points to their total. Followed by their free dance skate, landing them fifth place, adding another six points to the team event score. After all the Team Japan skaters had competed, their combined results placed them high enough to win the silver medal.
The success of these nine athletes at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games highlights the growing impact of EPIC within high-performance sport. From Olympic debuts to medal-winning performances, EPIC athletes continue to represent the centre’s commitment to elite training, resilience, and excellence. As EPIC maintains, supporting athletes across multiple disciplines, their achievements on the world’s biggest stage serve as both a point of pride for the organization and inspiration for the next generation of athletes striving to reach the Olympic level.
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