Montreal, January 22, 2026 – True to his post, the former mixed martial arts world champion, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Georges St-Pierre a tenu à remettre ses bourses en personne à sept étudiant·e·s-athlètes de sports de combat et en gymnastique pour un total de 15 000 $ en bourses et en services.
This annual meeting is always magical. Very generous, Georges St-Pierre creates stars in the eyes of all his scholarship holders, as well as their loved ones who accompany them. Taking the time to meet individually and with great interest each young person, he gave them special attention, asking them about their journeys, their prides, and their challenges. These rich exchanges preceded the official part of the award ceremony and the demonstrations of each discipline. Demonstrations carried out in collaboration with Georges St-Pierre, sometimes as a teammate, other times as a guinea pig!
One of the objectives of the Georges St-Pierre Foundation Scholarship Program is to support student-athletes practicing sports that the athlete himself incorporated into his training: boxing, fencing, artistic gymnastics, judo, karate, wrestling, and taekwondo.
The Ippon Center, led by Volodymyr Semyrozum, a former international judo athlete and father of an Aléo Foundation scholarship recipient, generously hosted the 12e Scholarship awards ceremony of the Georges St-Pierre Foundation within the Aléo Foundation! The judo facilities provided the perfect setting for the friendly demonstrations of all sports featured at the awards ceremony.
Benoit Beaudoin, reporter – mixed martial arts specialist journalist at TVA Sports and guest host of the activity was surprised by the Aléo Foundation team, who presented him with the Spark Award. This recognition is given to a few precious allies who contribute to the Foundation's mission.
In their own words:
«I am extremely happy to be financially supporting these young individuals in their athletic, academic, and personal journeys. However, even more than the amounts offered, if sharing my experiences, stories, and the lessons I've learned can inspire them and give them momentum, I will be even more delighted. They are at the beginning of their careers, and I'm retired, but between athletes, it doesn't matter where we are on the timeline, we have a special bond. A different way of thinking, we understand each other. And I truly hope to have made this connection tangible today and for them to feel that I am with them. It's worth noting that the chosen sports, both individually and combined, have shaped who I have become. It's important for me to recognize this contribution and encourage young people to continue on this path.»
– Georges St-Pierre
«The Georges St-Pierre Foundation scholarship award ceremony is an annual event. His engaged presence, the meetings he has with each young person, his advice, and the sports demonstrations he shares with all the recipients leave a lifelong impression on the scholarship winners. For 12 years now, Georges has been an extremely valuable ally, and we are privileged to count on his loyalty. The moment these young people experience exponentially enhances the scholarship they receive. Thank you.»
– Patricia Demers, Executive Director of the Aléo Foundation
Georges St-Pierre Foundation Scholarship Awards 2026
Profiles of the 7 recipients
Axel Beauchamp – gymnastics
1Re Georges St-Pierre Foundation x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
17 years old – Longueuil (Saint-Hubert)
2000 $
> Two-time medal winner at Elite Canada in Winter 2024 in British Columbia, 3e to the jumps, 2e on the parallel bars.
Studying Computer Science Technique at Dawson College.
Aiming for participation in the 2027 Canada Games in Quebec City.
After my sports career, I'm interested in pursuing my interest in programming as well as my interest in performance cars. I haven't decided yet which opportunity interests me the most, so I'm keeping all doors open.«
Charles Brillon – Olympic boxing
1Re Georges St-Pierre Foundation x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
18 years old – Saint-Hyacinthe
2000 $
Quebec champion in October and bronze medalist at the Canadian Championships in June 2025.
Studies in human sciences, administration profile at Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe.
This season, he's aiming for selection to the national team. In the long term, Charles dreams of becoming « undisputed champion » in professional boxing.
Liana Di Paola – taekwondo
1Re Georges St-Pierre Foundation x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
17 years old – Laval
2000 $
Silver medalist in the under 55 kg category at the Junior Pan American Championships in April 2025 in Mexico.
Canadian Junior Champion in the under 55 kg category, in February 2025, in Montreal.
Studying Humanities, Administration Profile, at Collège André-Grasset.
I place great importance on passing on my passion for taekwondo to the younger generation. Beyond my competitive performances, I enjoy guiding and training new athletes, which allows me to share not only technique but also the values of discipline.«
Arthur Lincourt – Fencing (sabre)
1Re Georges St-Pierre Foundation x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
17 years old - Rosemère
2000 $
Individual bronze medalist at the Canadian Senior Championships in May 2024 in Saskatoon, when he was only 15 years old.
Four-time gold medalist in the under-17 category at the Quebec Cups during the 2024-2025 season.
Studying Humanities with an Administration profile at Collège Lionel-Groulx.
Aims to be selected to represent Canada in the U21 World Cup.
Thomas Marchand - Karate
1Re Georges St-Pierre Foundation x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
15 years old – Gatineau
2000 $
2025 Canadian Champion for 14 and 15 year olds in his weight class (under 57 kg).
Studying sports-études in 3rd year.e secondary at École polyvalente Nicolas-Gatineau.
This season's main goal is to compete in the World Championships in her category in Morocco, and she hopes to win top honors there.
Anes Mati – Judo
1Re Georges St-Pierre Foundation x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
17 years old – Montreal (Anjou)
2000 $
Finished 5e in the under-66 kg category at the Cadet World Championships (under-18), in Bulgaria, in August 2025.
Gold medalist in the under-66 kg category at the Pan American Cup under-18, in November, in Montreal.
Study in 5e secondary school at Collège Mont-Royal.
I would like to develop my skills to continue contributing to sport, whether as a coach, a facilitator, or in a role that supports the next generation. After my athletic career, I want to stay in the sports world. Judo has given me so much that I would like to pay it forward and help young people, passing on the values I've learned and supporting them in their own progress.«
Nicolas Papadopoulos – wrestling
1Re Georges St-Pierre Foundation x Aléo Foundation Scholarship
16 years old – Brossard
2000 $
Bronze medalist in the team event at the 2025 Canada Games in St. John's, in his first competitive year of wrestling.
Study in 5e secondary at Heritage Regional High School.
“I want to win the U19 National Championships and get on the Canadian cadet national team so I can compete at the Pan American Championships and win a gold medal there as well.”
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 Generations of Impact 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 Generations of Impact
For more information: fondationaleo.ca
LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube Spotify
– 30 –
Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Aléo Foundation
438-884-6636
annie.dube@fondationaleo.ca
Philippe Lepage
Partner
LB3i Sports
plepage@lb3i.com
Aléo and Georges St-Pierre Foundations: Seven scholarships and an unforgettable moment from GSP
Montreal, January 22, 2026 – True to form, former mixed martial arts world champion, philanthropist, and entrepreneur Georges St-Pierre insisted on presenting his scholarships in person to seven student-athletes in combat sports and gymnastics, for a total of $$15,000 in scholarships and services.
This annual gathering is always magical. Georges St-Pierre is very generous, putting stars in the eyes of all his scholarship recipients and their accompanying loved ones. Taking the time to meet with each young person individually and with great interest, he gave them special attention, asking them about their backgrounds, their sources of pride, and their challenges. These rich exchanges preceded the formal part of the award ceremony and demonstrations of each discipline. Demonstrations were carried out in collaboration with Georges St-Pierre, sometimes as a teammate, other times as a guinea pig!
One of the objectives of the Georges St-Pierre Foundation Scholarship Program is to support student-athletes who practice a sport that the athlete himself incorporated into his training: boxing, fencing, artistic gymnastics, judo, karate, wrestling, and taekwondo.
The Ippon Center, led by Volodymyr Semyrozum, a former international judo athlete and father of a scholarship recipient from the Aléo Foundation, generously hosted the 12th edition of the Georges St-Pierre Foundation scholarship awards ceremony at the Aléo Foundation. The judo facilities provided the perfect setting for the entertaining demonstrations of all the sports featured at the ceremony.
Benoit Beaudoin, reporter and journalist specializing in mixed martial arts at TVA Sports and guest host of the event, was surprised by the Aléo Foundation team, who presented him with the Spark Award. This award recognizes a few valuable allies who contribute to the Foundation’s mission.
In their words:
«I am extremely happy to financially contribute to encouraging these young people in their athletic, academic, and personal journeys. But even more than the amounts offered, if sharing my experiences, stories, and lessons learned can inspire them and give them momentum, I am even more delighted. They are at the beginning of their careers, and I am retired, but as athletes, no matter where we are on the timeline, we have a special bond. We have a different way of thinking, and we understand each other. I sincerely hope that I have been able to solidify that bond today and that they feel that I am with them. It should be noted that the sports I chose, both individually and collectively, have shaped who I am today. It is important for me to recognize this contribution and to encourage young people to continue on this path.»
– Georges St-Pierre
«The Georges St-Pierre Foundation scholarship awards ceremony is an annual event. His attentive presence, the meetings he has with each of the young people, his advice, and the sports demonstrations he shares with all the recipients leave a lasting impression on the scholarship recipients. For 12 years now, Georges has been an extremely valuable ally, and we are privileged to count on his loyalty. The experience these young people have enhances the value of the scholarship they receive exponentially. Thank you.»
– Patricia Demers, Executive Director, Aléo Foundation
About the Aléo Foundation
The Aléo Foundation’s mission is to maximize the full potential of the greatest number of excellent student-athletes from all walks of life, in order to generate a significant and lasting impact. Founded in 1985, the organization has awarded over $$25 million in scholarships to more than 5,000 student-athletes across Quebec. In addition to these bursaries, the Foundation also provides lifelong services to all recipients during and after their athletic and academic careers. To support these services, the Aléo Research Chair is now a vector of scientific results available to the entire sports community.
The Generations of Impact The fundraising campaign aims to raise six million dollars over three years to bring us closer to our grand vision: that excellent student-athletes enrich society through their current and future leadership, both through their exceptional contributions and the inspiring examples they embody.
To support Generations of Impact
For more information: fondationaleo.ca
LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube Spotify
– 30 –
Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Aleo Foundation
438-884-6636
annie.dube@fondationaleo.ca
Philippe Lepage
Partner
LB3i Sports
plepage@lb3i.com
