Ahead of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, RBC is deepening its commitment to team Canada with the addition of 47 active and retired Olympic and Paralympic athletes to the roster of its RBC Olympians program.

Joining the program this year are figure skaters Scott Moir, Tessa Virtue and Patrick Chan, sledge hockey player Greg Westlake, Paralympic swimmer Benoît Huot and curler Marc Kennedy, among others.

The program, which was first introduced in 2002 and has been aggressively built up by RBC since, will see the bank provide funding to the athletes and to the Canadian Olympic Committee to help with training and athlete development. RBC also works with the athletes to help them find flexible, career-oriented work experience to help give them the time to train and compete, or transition into post-competition life.

In turn, the athletes act as ambassadors for RBC, visiting communities across the country and offering leadership and mentorship to young athletes and Canadians.

Jane Broderick, chief brand and communications officer, RBC, tells MiC this marks the largest roster addition that RBC has ever made to the RBC Olympians program, noting that RBC continues to build on the program because it allows the brand to place itself at the heart of the Olympic movement and strengthen its ties to consumers at the community level.

She says RBC is looking to reach Canadians of all ages through its continued support of Olylmpic athletes, adding that the bank will also be rolling out a mass multi-platform Olympic campaign in the weeks leading up to the Sochi Games, including a new advertising program.

Broderick adds, however, that this year’s campaign will be more heavily anchored in social media-driven initiatives than ever, because the Olympics bring Canadians closer together, and RBC is aiming to be at the centre of the conversation around the Games.

The new athletes on the roster will be part of the program from 2013 through 2015.