SASKATOON — For Sasha Krakowka and Etta Love, the dream of marching onto the Olympic stage wearing Canada’s colours feels closer than ever. With support from a national grant program, the two Saskatchewan athletes are fuelling their pursuit of excellence — and their shot at Olympic glory.
Krakowka from shooting and weightlifter Love, along with their respective coaches, are among the 55 pairs who will each receive a $10,000 grant from this year’s Petro-Canada Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence (FACE) program.
The FACE program, in co-operation with the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Petro-Canada, awards funding to up-and-coming athlete-coach pairs to support their training, equipment, education and travel expenses.
Krakowka, from the Shooting Federation of Canada, said she’s honoured to be one of the recipients of the FACE grant, which will support her training and help her compete in various tournaments.
“My ultimate goal is to represent Canada in the Olympics, and a bonus if I win too. The grant will help me purchase new equipment to stay competitive and cover my travel expenses, as I plan to compete in Colorado Springs in December and a few international world cups. I will never forget my first out-of-province competition in Alberta. I was almost 10 years old, it felt so professional, and I was in the big leagues. Their officials were amazing, and I ended up winning a few medals,” she said.
Krakowka, who set a women’s national record on her way to winning gold at the 2025 Canadian Junior Nationals, recalled some of those who competed in Alberta made it to the Olympics, which inspired her to train harder in hopes of following in their footsteps.
She said she’s ready to help the next generation of athletes in shooting, as she feels that working with and explaining things to them helps her remember the basics she learned when she was starting.
“When I was starting, one of my fellow competitors helped me out, and as a result, I beat her in competition. Her helping me, even though our scores were so close, inspired me with her sportsmanlike conduct, and I try to pass along the favour she did for me. I let her inspiration be mine, too. Thank you, Alexa. I hope that when people see what I have been able to achieve, others will feel they can as well. People may not even realize that competitive target shooting is an Olympic sport that has many clubs in Saskatchewan,” added Krakowka.
Love, from Weightlifting Canada, added that making it to the Summer Games has been her dream for years. She has been training seriously since she was 11, after falling in love with the sport when she first stepped into a weightlifting gym at age four.
She said making it to the Olympics is daunting but also exciting, which has propelled her through years of training. She began qualifying for international tournaments during the COVID-19 lockdown but was unsure what the future held.
“We are entering the final preparation before Olympic qualification begins, and while my goals have evolved with me, the Games continue to be our driving goal. My dream is to reach the Olympic platform at the 2028 Olympic Games in LA and stand there as my full self. Unabashedly queer, neurodivergent, soft and powerful. I want to follow in the footsteps of the people who have inspired me and show young queer people and femmes that they do not have to sacrifice their identity, happiness or complexity to achieve their dreams,” said Love.
Love’s commitment
Love said competing in the Olympics is not just an accomplishment for her; she wants to walk off that platform after her lift, knowing she made her younger self proud with all the hard work she did to reach her ultimate goal.
“I want to do the work to get there and be present in those moments. I cannot guarantee my performance, but I do want to ensure my experience. Then, I want to leave that experience richer, not depleted by my sacrifices. Olympic qualification will begin sometime in 2026. In the upcoming season, I plan to compete more internationally, hopefully travelling to places like Samoa, Egypt, Scotland, China and more,” said Love, who broke records and became the strongest Canadian woman in the history of the sport.
That is where the FACE grant will partially ease the financial burden of funding her trips and make the upcoming season possible, as competing in each tournament could cost between $4,000 and $10,000. She will also attend a training camp with Team Canada weightlifters next month as she works toward qualifying for the 2028 LA Olympics.
“I have several medal opportunities this season and will compete in my first Olympic qualifier for the 2028 Games. This grant lets me focus on training without financial stress and perform at my best. Funding has always been one of my biggest barriers in weightlifting. I have turned down countless competitions and opportunities because I couldn't afford them. Receiving this grant means so much to me because it helps make opportunities possible,” added Love, who broke the Youth Clean and Jerk World Record, making her the first Canadian female athlete to hold a world record in weightlifting.
Love said the historic exclusion of women has shaped weightlifting culture, making the sport more authentic to her, as she does not have to portray herself to fit someone else’s idea of what strong looks like.
“Growing up, I definitely felt like I had to appear tough and gritty to be respected in this sport. So now my lucky charm is usually about seven types of glitter and remembering the girl who first loved this sport. None of us can be teased apart; we exist as full humans who are more than the sum of our parts. I am very grateful to have had role models growing up, and I understand that, in and of itself, is a privilege. I want to show up as my whole self to be that for someone else, and to show them they don't have to sacrifice any fragment of themselves to exist in this sport,” she added.
Another athlete to receive a FACE grant this year was diver Kash Tarasoff.
