CALGARY – The federal government’s budget is delivering a bump to the monthly cheque given to Canada’s top athletes.
What’s known as "carding" money is given via the Sport Canada Athletes Assistance Program to help competitors pay for groceries, housing and utilities.
It’s been a maximum of 15-hundred dollars a month since 2004, and now senior athletes could get as much as 270 dollars a month more.
Ottawa says it will put an extra five-million dollars a year into the program for the next five years.
Biathlete Rosanna Crawford says the extra money will likely go toward healthy organic produce that helps her recover from workouts.
Luger Justin Snith says it will help pay his car insurance, while skeleton racer Mirela Rahneva says she’ll work fewer catering shifts to get more time at the sliding track in Calgary.
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