Desdowd-sponsored Athlete Pursues Olympic Dream
EFC member Desdowd’s decade-long commitment to amateur sports has risen to a new level—Olympic qualification.
On January 5, 2026, Canadian speed skater David La Rue, 27, secured one of Canada’s two men’s 1500-metre spots with an impressive performance at the at the 2026 Long Track Canada Cup and Olympic Skate-Off in Quebec City.
La Rue, originally from Longueuil, Que., has been a national team member since 2017 and will finally realize his Olympic dream after missing his chance four years ago with the cancellation of the 2022 Olympic Skate-Off due to the pandemic.
The athlete’s path to Olympic qualification was anything but straightforward. The cancellation of the Olympic trials along with a cerebral hemorrhage in the fall of 2023, following a cycling incident, were significant challenges. His recovery took more than a year and a half, and required patience, resilience, and a complete reevaluation of how he approached both performance and progress.
While sidelined with the disappointment from the trials, La Rue decided to refocus his energy towards academics.
“Following the cancellation of the trials, I chose to focus more intentionally on my education,” La Rue says. “I set ambitious goals for myself: to complete my degree in finance and to pass all three levels of the CFA program before the end of the Olympic cycle. I am proud to have achieved both, graduating in the fall of 2023 and completing my final CFA exam in August 2025.”
Patrick Marion, Strategic Advisor and Partner with Desdowd, first met La Rue’s father Louis in 1982 when both worked in a sports store. The two kept in touch and then years later, in 2015, Louis contacted Marion for sponsorship for his son David, then 16, seeking support to buy a set of skates for competition and this is how the relationship between the two began.
“He (David) really pursued his dreams and now he is in the Olympics,” Marion says.
Desdowd’s support for the accomplished skater has exceeded $50,000 over the last 10 years.
La Rue’s long list of speed skating achievements includes World Junior Champion (2018), three-time Canadian champion, three-time World Cup bronze medalist, World University Games (gold and two-time bronze medalist), Four Continents Championship (gold and silver medalist), and now, Olympian.
Despite the challenges La Rue faced to get to this level, he has always kept a positive attitude and a belief in himself to succeed in both academics and sports.
“I feel an immense sense of pride in having accomplished these major educational goals while also qualifying for the Olympic Games,” La Rue says.
“This journey was never about taking the easiest path. It was about committing fully to long-term ambitions, pushing forward without fear of failure, and giving my absolute best. The Games are almost here, and I am ready to leave everything on the line.”
La Rue’s first race at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games is scheduled for February 19.