Sherbrooke, November 12, 2025 – As an integral part of the Aléo Foundation’s major project in the Estrie region—which includes, notably, the Aléo Research Chair—the very first regional scholarship awards ceremony took place within the walls of an institution where sports and education come together every day. Gathered at Triolet High School, the program’s first 33 recipients shared 70,000 $ in scholarships and services.
In close collaboration with Excellence sportive Sherbrooke, the Estrie bursary program aims to detect talent as soon as it emerges. Indeed, the Espoir category of athletes, primarily high school students, has been targeted. By partnering in this way with regional experts in the field, it is therefore possible to identify these athletes on the path to excellence.
The Aléo Research Chair, to optimize access and psychosocial support for high-level sport, launch the game!
This event, made possible by the region's generous donors and the Aléo Foundation, also marked the unveiling and distribution of the first tangible tool from the Aléo Research Chair at the Université de Sherbrooke, inaugurated in February 2025. Deck of cards offering mental strategies for athletes, enhanced with a QR code to access concrete and effective additional information, were presented and given to the scholarship recipients of this first cohort.
In their own words:
«Excellence sportive Sherbrooke is very proud of this new partnership with the Aléo Foundation. Several of our former athletes, who are now at the NextGen, elite, or excellence levels, are already part of this great family, and it is extremely exciting for us to be part of this new series of regional bursaries aimed at younger athletes still in the region. They need this boost to reach the next level in their sport. With the added value of academic success, we couldn't ask for better: our organizations share similar values and offer complementary support.»
– Rémy Fontaine, Managing Director of Excellence sportive Sherbrooke
«At the Aléo Research Chair, our goal is to produce practical tools stemming from our research results. Although we are researchers, we are also people of the field, and our concerns are truly focused on the realities of student-athletes. With this objective in mind, we have developed a deck of cards intended as a tangible tool—one that you can hold in your hands, slip into your sports bag, keep in your pocket, look at, touch, and read at any time. The assets found within are very simple yet proven mental strategies that can genuinely help all athletes, from their first local competitions to the Olympic Games, including a championship final match!»
– Véronique Boudreault, holder of the Aléo Research Chair
«From the very conception of our major project in the Estrie region, the pillar of regional scholarship distribution was an essential element. The dual objective of supporting student-athletes at the emergence of their talent, when they are still in their home region, and of partnering with the local business community is once again taking shape in the region, following the launch of the Aléo Research Chair less than a year ago. The collaboration with Estrie is extremely rewarding and motivating for the Aléo Foundation. We are extremely grateful for this enthusiastic response and delighted to be able to be there for even more young athletes.»
– Patricia Demers, Executive Director of the Aléo Foundation
2025 Regional Scholarship Recipients in Estrie
| Name | Discipline | Age | Amount | City | School |
| Anne-Sophie Adueny | Paranatation | 14 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Mitchell-Montcalm High School |
| Charles-Élie Belzile | Mountain bike | 14 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Donateli Bitini Kwakwa | Basketball | 15 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Sandrine Blais | Figure skating | 15 | 2000 $ | Sherbrooke | De Mortagne Secondary School |
| Sofia Bourdeau | Cross-country skiing | 15 | 1500 $ | Magog | La Ruche Secondary School |
| Arthur Brault | Golf | 13 | 1500 $ | Orford | Triolet Secondary School |
| Éliane Carignan | Equestrian (dressage) | 16 | 1500 $ | Orford | La Ruche Secondary School |
| Evan Casavant | Hockey | 15 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Louis-Philippe Cyr | Hockey and baseball | 13 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Sébastien Fecteau | Judo | 17 | 1500 $ | Stanstead | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Antoine Fontaine | Cross-country skiing | 15 | 1500 $ | Orford | La Ruche Secondary School |
| Charlie-Rose Fortier | Swimming | 13 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Le Salésien High School |
| Julien Houde | Boxing | 15 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Jayson Huot | Alpine skiing | 15 | 1500 $ | Orford | La Ruche Secondary School |
| Marie-Helene Ilumbu Ikab | Basketball | 16 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Mathis Jacquot | Figure skating | 16 | 1500 $ | Magog | Triolet Secondary School |
| Dieudo Kamba | Soccer | 14 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Emanuel Labrador-Rodriguez | Fencing | 16 | 2000 $ | Sherbrooke | Le Salésien High School |
| Kahne Laplume | Hockey | 13 | 1500 $ | Potton | Triolet Secondary School |
| Olivier Lizotte | Volleyball | 16 | 2000 $ | Hatley Township | Veilleux High School |
| Zoé Patry | Table tennis | 15 | 2000 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Lukas Paxton | Baseball | 16 | 1500 $ | Coaticook | Triolet Secondary School |
| Florence Pelletier | Paranatation | 14 | 2000 $ | Sherbrooke | École secondaire de la Montée (Le Ber Pavilion) |
| Alexandra Perreault | Artistic gymnastics | 17 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Delphine Piatera-Mercier | Swimming | 17 | 4000 $ | Sherbrooke | Cégep de Lanaudière à Terrebonne |
| Léa Piatera-Mercier | Swimming | 14 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Maïka Pouliot | Soccer | 16 | 1500 $ | Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley | College of Montreal |
| Penelope Rheault | Swimming | 13 | 1500 $ | Magog | La Ruche Secondary School |
| Mathis Riendeau | Athletics | 16 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Noah Spooner | BMX | 15 | 1500 $ | Stoke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Guillaume St-André | Freestyle skiing | 13 | 1500 $ | Magog | Montessori High School – Orford |
| Alex Takaki Fernandes Franca | Athletics | 16 | 1500 $ | Sherbrooke | Triolet Secondary School |
| Rosalie Tremblay | Hockey | 17 | 4000 $ | Sherbrooke | Stanstead College |
About the Aléo Foundation
The Aléo Foundation's mission is to maximize the full potential of as many outstanding student-athletes as possible from all backgrounds, in order to generate significant and lasting impact. Created in 1985, it has awarded over $25 million in scholarships to more than 5,000 student-athletes from across Quebec. In addition to these scholarships, there is an essential component of services provided for life to all recipients during and after their athletic and academic careers. To support these mentoring services, the Aléo Research Chairis now a vector for scientific results available to the entire sports community here.
The fundraising campaign Impact for Generations Its goal is to raise six million dollars in three years to move closer to our great vision: that student-athletes of excellence enrich society through their current and future leadership, both through their exceptional contributions and the inspiring examples they embody.
To support Impact for Generations
For more information:fondationaleo.ca
LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube Spotify
– 30 –
Information:
Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Aléo Foundation
438-884-6626
annie.dube@fondationaleo.ca
