{"id":17331,"date":"2026-01-13T10:35:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T15:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bocciacanada.ca\/?post_type=news&#038;p=17331"},"modified":"2026-01-13T10:35:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T15:35:19","slug":"boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/bocciacanada.ca\/en\/news\/article\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Boccia Canada Announces Espoir Team for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ottawa, ON<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">(January 13, 2026)<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0&#8211; Boccia Canada is excited to announce its 2026 Espoir team,\u00a0comprised\u00a0of\u00a0up-and-coming athletes\u00a0working towards\u00a0national and\u00a0international success.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The 2026 Espoir Team athletes are:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BC1: Joe\u00a0Philpott (St. John\u2019s, NL)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BC2: Liza Puri (London, ON)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BC3: Carter Plumb (Brampton, ON)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BC3: Theresa MacLeod (Moncton, NB)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">BC4: Andrew Woodrow (St. John\u2019s, NL)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The team is made\u00a0mainly of\u00a0returning athletes, with the introduction of MacLeod\u00a0following her first competition at the 2024 Canadian Championships.\u00a0All of the returning athletes competed internationally last year, with three\u00a0participating in the 2025 Youth Parapan Am Games.\u00a0This team looks to make\u00a0an\u00a0impact\u00a0and grow their skills over the next 12 months.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Mario Delisle, High Performance Director, says \u201cIt is important to make sure that the athletes with a potential for high performance are being followed at training throughout the year. Making it to the Espoir Team gives an opportunity to work with National coaches and\u00a0participate\u00a0in training camps and international entry level events. We are looking forward to work with these 5 athletes in 2026 and support their development as boccia athletes.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">First-time Espoir team member Theresa MacLeod adds \u201cI am thrilled to have been selected for the 2026 Espoir team \u2013 it is an exceptional opportunity to develop my Boccia skills with top notch national coaching and talented, experienced athletes. As part of a developing Boccia program with Parasport NB, my ramp operator and I are\u00a0anticipating\u00a0a year of rigorous practice and growth as we connect with Boccia peers across Canada.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Espoir team plays a vital role in growing the depth of program within the High Performance boccia program.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Follow Boccia Canada on Facebook for all updates about national and international competitions\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BocciaCanada\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">here<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">About Boccia Canada\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Boccia Canada is the boccia delivery arm of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA), the National Sport Organization for the Paralympic sport of boccia. Boccia Canada is focused on providing athletes and individuals of all ages and skill with the chance to play a unique Paralympic sport. We lead,\u00a0develop\u00a0and grow boccia from grassroots to producing World Champions, and we collaborate with partners to increase participation of Canadians with physical disabilities in sport.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">About Boccia<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Boccia is a Paralympic sport of precision and strategy similar to lawn bowling or curling, played by athletes with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and related disabilities.\u00a0It is one of only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart. Athletes compete in one of six sport classes based on their level and type of disability: BC1, BC2, BC3 BC4, BC5, and Open.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Media Contact\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Zoe Meil-Charbonneau<\/span><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">National Program Coordinator<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:zmeil@bocciacanada.ca\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">zmeil@bocciacanada.ca<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ottawa, ON\u00a0(January 13, 2026)\u00a0&#8211; Boccia Canada is excited to announce its 2026 Espoir team,\u00a0comprised\u00a0of\u00a0up-and-coming athletes\u00a0working towards\u00a0national and\u00a0international success.\u00a0 The 2026 Espoir Team athletes are:\u00a0\u00a0 BC1: Joe\u00a0Philpott (St. John\u2019s, NL)\u00a0 BC2: Liza Puri (London, ON)\u00a0 BC3: Carter Plumb (Brampton, ON)\u00a0 BC3: Theresa MacLeod (Moncton, NB)\u00a0 BC4: Andrew Woodrow (St. John\u2019s, NL)\u00a0 The team is made\u00a0mainly of\u00a0returning&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17332,"menu_order":0,"template":"","news_category":[],"class_list":["post-17331","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Boccia Canada Announces Espoir Team for 2026 - Boccia Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bocciacanada.ca\/en\/news\/article\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Boccia Canada Announces Espoir Team for 2026 - Boccia Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ottawa, ON\u00a0(January 13, 2026)\u00a0&#8211; Boccia Canada is excited to announce its 2026 Espoir team,\u00a0comprised\u00a0of\u00a0up-and-coming athletes\u00a0working towards\u00a0national and\u00a0international success.\u00a0 The 2026 Espoir Team athletes are:\u00a0\u00a0 BC1: Joe\u00a0Philpott (St. John\u2019s, NL)\u00a0 BC2: Liza Puri (London, ON)\u00a0 BC3: Carter Plumb (Brampton, ON)\u00a0 BC3: Theresa MacLeod (Moncton, NB)\u00a0 BC4: Andrew Woodrow (St. John\u2019s, NL)\u00a0 The team is made\u00a0mainly of\u00a0returning&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bocciacanada.ca\/en\/news\/article\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Boccia Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bocciacanada.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/National-Team-Announcement-2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"940\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"788\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/news\\\/article\\\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/news\\\/article\\\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\\\/\",\"name\":\"Boccia Canada Announces Espoir Team for 2026 - Boccia Canada\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/news\\\/article\\\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/news\\\/article\\\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/National-Team-Announcement-2.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-13T15:35:19+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/news\\\/article\\\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/news\\\/article\\\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/news\\\/article\\\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/National-Team-Announcement-2.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/National-Team-Announcement-2.png\",\"width\":940,\"height\":788},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/news\\\/article\\\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Boccia Canada Announces Espoir Team for 2026\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Boccia Canada\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bocciacanada.ca\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Boccia Canada Announces Espoir Team for 2026 - Boccia Canada","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bocciacanada.ca\/en\/news\/article\/boccia-canada-announces-espoir-team-for-2026\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Boccia Canada Announces Espoir Team for 2026 - Boccia Canada","og_description":"Ottawa, ON\u00a0(January 13, 2026)\u00a0&#8211; 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