“Imagine if we had enough money to cover our rent”: Gold medallist Greg Stewart on the financial realities of pro para sport

Carding money, delivered through the Athlete Assistance Program, is some of the only consistent funding Canadian elite para-athletes receive. In 2024, it provides $1,765 per month as a living and training allowance to athletes at the international competition level. And although Olympians earn $20,000 for a gold medal, $15,000 for a silver medal and $10,000 for a bronze medal through funding from the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympians have never before been paid for reaching the podium.

The money landscape is starting to change for athletes, however. Starting with Paris 2024, Canadian Paralympic medallists will receive the same amount of money as their Olympic counterparts. Sponsors like Toyota and Air Canada have also put significant resources into sponsorships for athletes and their programs, and athletes are continuing to advocate for more money. So, what is the financial reality of athletes who represent our country?

Gold medal–winning shot putter Greg Stewart spoke to MoneySense about the fraught financial environment for para-athletes and his own approach to money. At 38, he’s in his second go-round when it comes to Paralympic competition, having won gold in shot put at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. He was previously on Canada’s sitting volleyball team—a natural fit when you’re seven-foot-two—winning bronze medals at the 2007 and 2011 Parapan American Games. He previously won three world titles with the men’s para standing volleyball team.

Stewart retired from professional sport in 2022, but he returned in 2024. He won silver at the World Para Athletics Championships in May, solidifying his selection for Paris 2024. Stewart recently co-wrote a book, Stand Out: The True Story of Paralympic Gold Medallist Greg Stewart (Kermode Education, 2024), and he will compete at the Summer Games in Paris on Sept. 4. As you’ll see in this interview, the financial realities of competing are something he thinks about a lot. (Interview has been condensed and lightly edited.)

Tell me about your approach to money as a Paralympian?

My approach has slowly been changing, now that society is starting to view disabled people [better], to see us as equals. I think we’re starting to see that reflected in how Paralympic or disabled athletes are treated. But at the same time, there are still a lot of costs to [being a professional para-athlete]. People with disabilities are still underfunded in terms of the costs of equipment, supporting themselves, and their basic needs. If you’re a carded athlete, that might—might—help pay for a little bit of your rent. But it’s not going anywhere toward supporting your disability. 

Did finances play a role in your decision to retire in 2022?

I chose to retire for two reasons. I wanted to spend more time on the things that mattered to me—and that was my partner and my income. Carding is not enough money to pay for your rent and food, let alone any other activities that you have. So, retirement gave me the opportunity to start to earn a living, and to create more of a resume, in terms of actually hunkering down and earning a paycheque. Realistically, though, the majority of athletes are focused on trying to get carded, period, because they believe that’s going to be a source of income they can rely on. [They think they won’t] have to worry about maybe picking up that extra shift as an athlete. 

What were some of those jobs that you did?

I used to work for my prosthetist. And I used to work in the recycling industry, in automotive scrap. I did that for three years while I was competing. It helped pay for a lot of things during COVID. But it would require me to step away from training for a week or week-and-a-half every time. The problem I have is that we are talking about athletes, we’re talking about people that are putting themselves out there to represent Canada. The best way I could say it is: we are ambassadors for the country. Yet, we are in a 15-minutes-of-fame society in Canada. There’s no longevity to [sport in this country]. And if there is, you as an athlete have to make that longevity.

What impact do you see the increase in corporate investment having on Canadian para-sport athletes?

I think it’s going to create a little bit more competition within para sport, because it’s challenging sometimes to find competitors, depending on the event. When you show money, people’s ears perk up. They start to realize, OK, there’s more to this than just passion. At the same time, I also think that putting money up front will potentially create a little bit of greed, a little bit of corruption. That’s what money does to everybody. As long as we can be mindful around that, then I think really good things could happen.

What sponsors do you have on board? 

I have an awesome milk sponsor, Blackwell Dairy, in Kamloops. They are my milk provider. They’ve been my milk provider all year. I love their chocolate milk. I’m trying to work with Under Armour. I would love to. They provide clothing that fits me, but we just haven’t connected yet. One of the ways I’m trying to earn an income right now is through motivational speaking. I’ve been doing a lot more talks, so I’ll keep doing that both at a corporate level [and] school level.

Can you tell me a little bit about how the Blackwell Dairy sponsorship came together?

I asked them [laughs]. There’s not a lot of people reaching out to me. It’s me reaching out to them.

You’re involved in things like AthletesCan, an advocacy organization for Canadian athletes. I’m curious how much the financial aspect of being a para-sport athlete comes up in those conversations.

It doesn’t come up as a para-athlete, it comes up in general as an athlete, period. 

This is a conversation I’ve been having more. When we are struggling mentally, there are two things that we really, really want in our lives. One is security—we want to feel safe. Imagine if we had enough money to cover our rent. The other thing is, we need to ensure that we’re nourished. Imagine knowing that we could put food on our plate, three meals a day—the bare minimum. 

We’ve been having the same conversation about carding for 25 years. I keep hearing it from other people—“Increase carding, help our athletes out”—but we find new committees and put our money in other places. As you can tell, I’m pretty adamant about it. I just feel like we need to show more love and compassion. Honestly, Carla [Qualtrough], our minister of sport, is doing a good job of that now, being a [former] para-athlete. I think she recognizes it. 

There are obviously changes coming. I just hope that we can recognize that if we’re putting athletes where we keep putting them—[on a pedestal]—we should also be supporting them. 

What advice would you give somebody who’s just coming onto the international scene?

The advice is: expect things to be expensive and don’t beat yourself up if you can’t be in everything. There are so many athletes that retire in debt. Love what you’re doing and enjoy all of it, but it’s not going to be easy financially. I don’t mean to scare people moving forward, but that’s the reality of it. Unless you’re living at home, or you have a good job or you have people paying your way, just be aware that it can be challenging.

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