Caitlin Nash admits she is still honing her cappuccino-making skills, acknowledging the difficulty but expressing determination to improve. As she gears up for a potential debut at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, the Canadian luger is currently juggling her athletic ambitions with part-time barista duties at Hayloft, a mobile coffee service founded by speed skater Hayden Mayeur.
Hayloft, initially created in response to Mayeur losing his job at Calgary’s Olympic Oval during the pandemic, has flourished, serving clients in various sectors such as energy, real estate, and golf courses. The business has expanded to the extent that Mayeur had to bring on additional baristas, recruiting fellow athletes including speed skaters, bobsledders, and lugers to work flexible shifts around their training schedules.
The venture not only provides a source of income for athletes facing financial strains in the Canadian sport system but also offers a supportive platform for them to balance work and training commitments. Mayeur envisions expanding Hayloft to other athlete training hubs across Canada to further assist athletes in pursuing their sporting goals.
While such initiatives offer temporary relief, the broader Canadian sport system faces financial challenges that require systemic changes. National sport organizations could benefit from streamlining governance structures to enhance efficiency and collaboration. Moreover, hosting premier sports events locally can stimulate economic growth, attract sponsorships, and reduce travel costs for NSOs.
Julie Stevens, a sport management professor, underscores the economic value of hosting competitions in Canada, citing the substantial contribution of the sport sector to regional GDP and employment. Leveraging revenue streams like sports betting could further bolster funding for sports programs, potentially alleviating the financial burden on the federal government.
Despite these innovative solutions, athletes like Nash emphasize the urgent need for sustained investment in amateur sports to ensure the viability of high-level athletic pursuits in Canada. Without adequate support, the future of amateur sports in the country remains uncertain, prompting calls for long-term solutions to address the growing financial crisis in Canadian sports.