Quebec, May 21, 2026 – At Beneva’s offices in Quebec City, 21 recipients from the 2026 cohort of the Aléo Foundation’s Beneva program were awarded a total of 100,000 $ in grants and services by the President and CEO, Mr. Jean-François Chalifoux.
Of the 21 scholarship holders, six are joining the group of athletes supported by Beneva since 2009. This prestigious group includes Olympians Kim Boutin, in speed skating, Katherine Savard, in swimming, and the diver Nathan Zsombor-MurrayA team that grows stronger year after year.
A few months after the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, those gathered for the presentation were also able to witness an Olympic bouldering event where Florence Brunelle, silver and bronze medalist of these Olympic Games, Émile Nadeau, 9e of the grand finale of the jumps, as well as Béatrice Lamarche, 5e at the 1000 m and 7e in the 500m speed skating long track, shared their unique experience.
The awarding of Beneva scholarships is part of a partnership with the Aléo Foundation that unfolds through several initiatives. It notably includes the event Game on for the Athletes, held last March, for which Beneva acted as co-presenting partner. It also includes the Beneva Montreal Marathon, where the Aléo Foundation is, for the third consecutive year, one of the associated causes for the component From the heart to the race in the fall of 2026.
In their own words:
«For over 17 years, Beneva has been proud to partner with the Aléo Foundation to support student-athletes in their journey. True to our mutualist roots, we believe in the importance of caring for people and supporting them in their life projects. By supporting these youths, beyond financial aid, we contribute to their long-term development and success. It is a commitment that is deeply meaningful to us.»
– Jean-François Chalifoux, President and CEO of Beneva
«The mission of the Aléo Foundation is made possible thanks to its partners and donors. Beneva is one of our prestige partners, having been loyal for nearly two decades. The bond that has been forged over all these years is invaluable both to the Foundation and to the dozens of student-athletes who have earned Beneva's trust. This invaluable support allows them to combine high-level sports and academics into a single plan in order to achieve their dreams and experience a unique journey. Beneva helps provide them with the means to fulfill their ambitions.»
– Patricia Demers, Executive Director of the Aléo Foundation
Recipients of the 2026 Beneva Scholarship Program
| Name | Discipline | Age | Amount | City | School |
| Justin Boudreau | Cross-country skiing | 20 | 4000 $ | Boucherville | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Amélie Bourgeois | Alpine skiing | 21 | 4000 $ | Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville | University of Montreal |
| Charlie Breault | Artistic swimming | 16 | 4000 $ | Saint-Hyacinthe | Les Estacades Academy |
| Florence Brunelle | Short track speed skating | 22 | 4000 $ | Trois-Rivières | McGill University |
| Victoriane Charron | Artistic gymnastics | 18 | 4000 $ | Mont-Saint-Hilaire | Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe |
| Matt Cullen | Diving | 20 | 4000 $ | Rosemère | Lionel-Groulx College |
| Ion Diacenco | Water polo | 20 | 4000 $ | Côte Saint-Luc | Polytechnique Montréal |
| Florence Hamel | Sprint canoeing | 19 | 4000 $ | Kirkland | Sainte-Anne International College |
| Félix Hamel | Cycling | 22 | 2000 $ | Sainte-Julie | University of Sherbrooke |
| Simone Huang | Badminton | 19 | 4000 $ | Laval | College of Bois-de-Boulogne |
| Amélie-Laura Jasmin | Diving | 22 | 4000 $ | Montréal (Saint-Laurent) | HEC Montréal |
| Jacob Lebel | Snowboard cross | 19 | 4000 $ | Saint Mary | Champlain Regional College – St. Lawrence |
| Grégoire Mercier-Noël | Volleyball | 23 | 4000 $ | Boucherville | University of Sherbrooke |
| Émile Nadeau | Freestyle skiing (aerials) | 22 | 4000 $ | Prévost | Limoilou College |
| Samuel Picard | Cross-country skiing | 20 | 4000 $ | Whale's Head | Garneau College |
| Alexis Rhéaume | BMX | 19 | 4000 $ | Quebec (La Haute-Saint-Charles) | Sainte-Foy College |
| Sarina Shrestha | Freestyle skiing (aerials) | 18 | 4000 $ | Montreal (Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie) | Sainte-Foy College |
| Benjamin Tessier | Diving | 21 | 4000 $ | Blainville | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Jacob Townsend | Veil | 21 | 4000 $ | Hudson | Concordia University |
| Nathan Viau | Trampoline | 19 | 4000 $ | Beloeil | National School of Aerrotechnics |
| Aby-Léonie Ward | Long track speed skating | 16 | 2000 $ | Lévis (Charny) | Pointe-Lévy High School |
About Beneva
Beneva is the largest insurance mutual in the country, with 3.8 million members and more than 6,500 employees dedicated to protecting people. Its caring approach, grounded in human values shared by its employees, is rooted in its mutualist origins. Created in 2020 by the merger of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance, the company solidified its pan-Canadian presence through its merger with Gore Mutual in 2026. With combined assets of $30.3 billion, Beneva stands out for its broad range of group insurance, property and casualty insurance, individual insurance and financial services. Its head office is located in Quebec City. For more information, visit beneva.ca.
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, to generate significant and lasting impact. Established 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 lifelong services provided to all recipients during and after their athletic and academic journeys. To support these mentoring services, the Aléo Research Chair is now a vector of scientific results available to the entire sports community here.
The fundraising campaign Impact for Generations aims to raise six million dollars in three years to move closer to our grand 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 –
For your information:
Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Aléo Foundation
438-884-6626
annie.dube@fondationaleo.ca
Media relations
Beneva
1-866-332-3806
media@beneva.ca
Aléo Foundation x Beneva Scholarship Program: Beneva is investing in student-athletes in Quebec for the 17th year
Quebec City, May 21, 2026 – At Beneva’s offices in Quebec City, 21 recipients from the 2026 cohort of the Aléo Foundation’s Beneva program were presented with a total of $100,000 in grants and services by the President and CEO Jean-François Chalifoux.
Of the 21 scholarship recipients, six are joining the group of athletes Beneva has been supporting since 2009. This prestigious group includes Olympians Kim Boutin, in short track speed skating, Katherine Savard, in swimming) and diver Nathan Zsombor-Murray! It’s a team that grows stronger every year.
A few months after the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, those gathered for the ceremony were also treated to an Olympic exhibition featuring Florence Brunelle, a silver and bronze medalist at those Games, Émile Nadeau, who placed 9th in the ski jumping grand final, and Béatrice Lamarche, who placed 5th in the 1,000m and 7th in the 500m in long-track speed skating, shared their unique experiences.
The presentation of the Beneva scholarships is part of a partnership with the Aléo Foundation that encompasses several initiatives. These include the “Aux Jeux pour les athlètes” event, held last March, for which Beneva served as a co-presenting partner. It also includes the Beneva Montreal Marathon, where the Aléo Foundation is, for the third consecutive year, one of the causes associated with the “Du cœur à la course” initiative in the fall of 2026.
In their own words:
“For over 17 years, Beneva has been proud to partner with the Aleo Foundation in supporting student‑athletes throughout their journey. True to our mutualist roots, we believe in the importance of taking care of people and supporting them in their life projects. By supporting these young individuals beyond financial assistance, we help foster their development and long‑term success. This is a commitment that holds deep meaning for us.”
– Jean-François Chalifoux, President and CEO of Beneva
“The Aléo Foundation’s mission is made possible thanks to our partners and donors. Beneva is one of our prestigious partners and has been a loyal supporter for nearly two decades. The bond that has developed over the years is invaluable both to the Foundation and to the dozens of student-athletes who have earned Beneva’s trust. This invaluable support allows them to combine elite-level sports and academics in a single plan, enabling them to realize their dreams and embark on a unique journey. Beneva helps provide them with the means to achieve their ambitions.”
– Patricia Demers, Executive Director of the Aléo Foundation
Recipients of the 2026 Beneva Scholarship Program
| Name | Sport | Age | Amount | City | School |
| Justin Boudreau | Cross-country skiing | 20 | $4,000 | Boucherville | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Amélie Bourgeois | Alpine skiing | 21 | $4,000 | Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville | University of Montreal |
| Charlie Breault | Artistic swimming | 16 | $4,000 | Saint-Hyacinthe | Les Estacades Academy |
| Florence Brunelle | Short-track speed skating | 22 | $4,000 | Trois-Rivières | McGill University |
| Victoriane Charron | Artistic gymnastics | 18 | $4,000 | Mont-Saint-Hilaire | Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe |
| Matt Cullen | Scuba diving | 20 | $4,000 | Rosemère | Lionel-Groulx College |
| Ion Diacenco | Water polo | 20 | $4,000 | Côte Saint-Luc | Polytechnique Montréal |
| Florence Hamel | Canoe/kayak sprint | 19 | $4,000 | Kirkland | Sainte-Anne International College |
| Félix Hamel | Cycling | 22 | $2,000 | Sainte-Julie | University of Sherbrooke |
| Simone Huang | Badminton | 19 | $4,000 | Laval | College of Bois-de-Boulogne |
| Amélie-Laura Jasmin | Scuba diving | 22 | $4,000 | Montréal (Saint-Laurent) | HEC Montréal |
| Jacob Lebel | Snowboarding (snowboard cross) | 19 | $4,000 | Saint Mary | Champlain College Saint Lawrence |
| Grégoire Mercier-Noël | Volleyball | 23 | $4,000 | Boucherville | University of Sherbrooke |
| Émile Nadeau | Freestyle skiing (aerials) | 22 | $4,000 | Prévost | Limoilou College |
| Samuel Picard | Cross-country skiing | 20 | $4,000 | Whale's Head | Garneau College |
| Alexis Rhéaume | BMX | 19 | $4,000 | Quebec (La Haute-Saint-Charles) | Sainte-Foy College |
| Sarina Shrestha | Freestyle skiing (aerials) | 18 | $4,000 | Montreal (Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie) | Sainte-Foy College |
| Benjamin Tessier | Scuba diving | 21 | $4,000 | Blainville | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Jacob Townsend | Sailing | 21 | $4,000 | Hudson | Concordia University |
| Nathan Viau | Trampoline | 19 | $4,000 | Beloeil | National School of Aerrotechnics |
| Aby-Léonie Ward | Long track speed skating | 16 | $2,000 | Lévis (Charny) | Pointe-Lévy High School |
About Beneva
Beneva is the country’s largest mutual insurance company, with 3.8 million members and over 6,500 employees dedicated to protecting people. Its caring approach, founded on human values and shared by its employees, is rooted in its mutualist heritage. Created through the merger of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance in 2020, the company consolidated its pan-Canadian presence through its merger with Gore Mutual in 2026. With combined assets of $30.3 billion, it stands out for its diverse offerings in group insurance, property and casualty insurance, as well as individual insurance and financial services. Its headquarters are located in Quebec City. For more information, visit beneva.ca.
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 –
For more information:
Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Aleo Foundation
438-884-6626
annie.dube@fondationaleo.ca
Media Relations
Beneva
1-866-332-3806
media@beneva.ca
