Coffee, hosting, gambling: How Canadian sport can begin to climb out of financial crisis
CBC
Caitlin Nash’s cappuccino skills, by her own admission, could use some work.
“It's actually shockingly hard. But we're getting there,” the Canadian luger, who is doubling as a barista as she aims to compete in her first Olympics at Milano Cortina 2026, told CBC Sports.
Nash is among Canada’s bright young Olympic stars. Looking to peak in time for 2030, a spot in Milan would give Nash the requisite experience needed to refine her approach and reach the podium four years later.
But, for now, she’s distracted by the task at hand — getting the milk to the exact right consistency for each espresso-based drink she’s learning to make.
In addition to being a full-time athlete, Nash is a part-time barista at Hayloft, a mobile coffee service created by speed skater Hayden Mayeur after he lost his job at Calgary’s Olympic Oval during the pandemic.
Mayeur responded by buying a coffee truck.
More specifically, the Toronto native purchased an antique Citroen car, which he remodelled into a mobile espresso service over the course of a year.
Now, Hayloft claims customers in the energy sector, real estate, golf courses and more.
The business became so successful that Mayeur needed to bring on some baristas. He turned to fellow speed skaters, bobsledders, lugers, and others.
“We've kind of now created a platform where athletes who can't necessarily afford to have a full-time, part-time job working at the mall or whatnot, but still need the extra cash to make ends meet, they can pick up shifts with Hayloft around their training schedules,” Mayeur revealed to CBC Sports.
Indeed, the Canadian sport system is strained financially at all levels. Athletes bear much of the burden, however, as costs are passed down. Being an Olympian, these days, is at once more of a full-time commitment and less sustainable than ever.
Hayloft is one potential solution for the crisis.
As the pandemic subsided, Mayeur returned to his job at the Oval. When he left a second time, it was of his own accord.
“The first year that I was able to leave my part-time job at the Olympic Oval, because Hayloft was doing well enough, I won my first world-championship medal. So I would say there's a direct correlation. Like, yes, I'm busy, but I'm busy on my own schedule,” said Mayeur, who at 28 seeks his first Olympic appearance.
