Sam Effah

Biography

As a native Albertan, Sam has speed. He represented Canada at 3 World Championships, 3 World University Games, 2 Commonwealth Games and was inducted into the 2021 Canada West Hall of Fame. Most recently, Sam was named co-Chef de Mission for the 2022 Commonwealth Games (Birmingham, UK) and will lead Team Canada into competition through this new found leadership role. As a 2-time Canadian Champion in the 100m, Sam has an innate enthusiasm for sport, marketing, entrepreneurship and the Olympic movement.

As a volunteer, he’s an athlete ambassador with Right To Play and a past Classroom Champions mentor, where he focuses on using his platform to inspire the next generation of youth around the world.

But it doesn’t stop there. In 2019 he was cast on The Amazing Race Canada Season 7, where he inspired audiences with stories of injury, resilience and the hunger to be Canada’s fastest once again. Being selected for Canada’s #1 watched reality TV show – and placing second – is a testament to his marketability, strong storytelling talents and persistence to win some of the shows toughest challenges.

On the corporate side, Sam is driven. At RBC, Sam has contributed to the growth of RBC Future Launch – the bank’s largest-ever financial commitment to helping young people prepare for the future of work. He recently moved into a full time manager position on the Brand Marketing team, where he’ll help find and fund Canada’s future Olympians via RBC Training Ground, and support RBC’s broader sports marketing initiatives including Olympic Games campaigns.

Outside of athletics and in-office work, Sam loves to speak. He leads a strong stage presence, developed over the course of a ten-year career as a seminar speaker, workshop facilitator, and motivational presenter. Notable events include WE Day Alberta (60,000 students), Elevate Techfest (Canada’s biggest tech festival), and Edmonton’s Next Gen Speaker Series (Presented at Rogers Place, home of the Edmonton Oilers).

As a world class athlete and masters graduate working in corporate, Sam provides a unique perspective unseen in today’s industries.