The Olympic spotlight often shines on household names, but Canada’s pipeline of talent runs far deeper. Across sports, a new generation of athletes is quietly training, competing, and surprising fans with breakout performances. These rising stars may not yet be familiar faces, but they’re pushing boundaries, breaking records, and building momentum toward the next Games. These are 12 rising Canadian stars you didn’t know were Olympic contenders:
T.J. Tahid
At 17, Taryck “T.J.” Tahid is already a rising star in Canadian soccer. He earned his first call-up to the U17 national team in 2023, scoring in a friendly against Argentina, and was later named to Canada’s squad for the 2023 U-17 World Cup. In early 2025, he debuted with Ghana’s U20 team for a mini-tournament, highlighting his dual eligibility, and is currently a promising midfielder in the Canadian professional circuit. While Olympic selection is a few steps away, Tahid’s international exposure and influence at youth levels make him a contender for future Olympic rosters.
Kaylee Hunter
Seventeen-year-old Kaylee Hunter has become one of Canada’s most exciting young soccer forwards. Since making her professional debut in April 2025 with AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League, she scored the club’s first-ever goal. She followed up with two braces in later matches, proving her knack for finishing and game-changing presence. Though club-level, not international, her lightning-speed adaptation to pro competition and goal-scoring flair make her a strong candidate for future youth national team call-ups and Olympic development.
Mary-Sophie Harvey
Harvey continues to carve her niche as one of Canada’s top medley swimmers. She claimed bronze in the 200m individual medley at both the 2024 World Championships and previously at Pan Am Games and podium finishes at Worlds. Her technical agility and composure in multi-stroke races reflect an athlete nearing her peak performance. With several international medals already under her belt, but none yet at the Olympics, Harvey represents a steady and strategic contender likely to challenge for podium placements with each passing Games.
Patrick Hussey
Patrick Hussey has made his mark as a butterfly specialist, helping Canada to success in mixed medley relays, including a Pan Am silver medal in 2023. While he hasn’t yet earned an individual Olympic medal, his relay experience and ever-improving butterfly technique suggest strong potential for future Olympic finals. Hussey’s trajectory illustrates how collective success in relays often precedes the breakthrough for personal podium finishes.
Kenzie Priddell
Kenzie Priddell has risen through Canada’s artistic swimming ranks, serving as an alternate for the Canadian team at the 2024 Games and contributing to bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games. Her blend of technique, composure, and routine artistry shines through pressure moments. Though Olympic hardware remains elusive, Priddell stands as a gateway to future team medal success, especially as Canada continues refining its artistic swimming legacy.
Erin Brooks
Erin Brooks captured international attention when she won silver in women’s shortboard at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games, just six years after starting the sport. Her standout performance delivered an elite result on a global stage, despite surfing moments of ineligibility in national selection conversations. While she hasn’t yet reached the Olympics, Brooks’s bold surf style and championship swagger make her a figure likely to rise internationally, especially as surfing’s Olympic profile continues to grow.
Kate Miller
Ottawa-born Kate Miller continues to emerge in Canadian diving. At age 19, she made her Olympic debut for Canada at Paris 2024 in synchronized 10 m platform alongside Caeli McKay. Prior to that, Miller earned a silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in synchro 10 m platform. Though she hasn’t yet reached the Olympic podium, her rapid rise through junior and senior ranks, combined with international success, makes her a candidate for future medal potential in future Games.
Simone Leathead
From Montreal, Simone Leathead is carving her own path in high diving. She captured silver at both the 2025 World Aquatics Championships and the 2024 World Aquatics High Diving World Cup in Bahrain. Her ascent from standard platform to the challenging heights of high diving has been swift and impactful. Although high diving isn’t currently in the Olympic program, her precision, technical mastery, and international podiums demonstrate the kind of star Canada may see in emerging Olympic disciplines in the near future.
Nyah Rose
NYU standout Nyah Rose has become one of Canada’s most exciting teenage talents. She began her national team journey at just 14, scoring five goals in 17 matches across youth tournaments and featuring in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. At SMU, she led her conference in scoring as a freshman. Rose’s physical prowess, finishing ability, and early national team involvement position her as a strong candidate for future senior Olympic rosters. Even though Olympic glory hasn’t arrived yet, it is clearly on the horizon.
Macklin Celebrini
Nineteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini is fast becoming a name in Canadian hockey. Already showing poise as an NHL rookie with the San Jose Sharks, he’s the youngest player at Canada’s national team orientation camp for the 2026 Olympics. That selection alone signals national belief in his potential. Still without Olympic or World Juniors hardware, Celebrini’s early entrance to national-level camps highlights just how quickly he’s emerging among Canada’s elite, a hockey name to watch closely in upcoming Olympic cycles.
Julia Tunks
Eighteen-year-old Julia Tunks has rocketed into Canada’s track-and-field spotlight. At just 18, she captured the national discus title in both 2023 and 2025, and set the Canadian national record with a throw of 62.95 m in 2025, surpassing her family’s legacy. She’s the daughter of two-time Olympian Jason Tunks, and her ability to combine strength and refined technique makes her a rare talent. Though she hasn’t yet appeared at the Olympic Games, her progression and record-setting capacity point to a possible Olympic medal in the not-too-distant future.
Lia Redick
At just 15, Ontario’s Lia Redick became the 2025 Pan American champion on balance beam, her specialty apparatus. Born in 2009 and competing at the national senior level since 2024, she won all-around bronze at Elite Canada and has quickly gained attention for her poise and artistry. Though she’s too young for senior Olympic participation in 2024, Redick’s technical precision and early success mark her as a promising prospect for future Olympic cycles in artistic gymnastics.
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