Champions Of Change: Oliver Scholfield

HIA #152 — Oliver Scholfield helped take Canadian field hockey to the world stage.

As a stalwart forward for Canada, Oliver earned 100+ international caps, competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the 2018 FIH World Cup, and helped secure silver at the 2019 Pan American Games. Having retired from the field in 2024— he now applies his world-class drive to climate action, co-founding Racing to Zero and being named an IOC Climate Action Awards finalist for delivering credible, high-impact sustainability outcomes in sport.

Hey Oli.

Hi Marcus.

What advice would you give your younger self when you started your career?

Be bold and be confident in what you bring to them team!

What’s something you wish more people understood about the life of a pro athlete?

It's mentally exhausting sometimes!

How do you mentally reset after a tough loss?

Putting everything into perspective, both within the season or competition, but also in the grand scheme of things.

The best piece of advice you've ever received?

The best players bring just as much off the pitch as they do on the pitch.

What is the most unexpected lesson your sport has taught you about life?

Keeping busy is the easiest way to get more done.

How has competing in different countries and cultures impacted you as a person?

We're so incredibly fortunate to have had these opportunities, and the coolest part was definitely seeing how fans show up for the sport in different places.

What personal cause or issue are you most passionate about outside of your sport, and why?

Climate action, because it's crazy to me for anyone to see how incredible nature is and not feel like we need to protect it.

Thanks for sharing a little more insight on your journey as an athlete Oliver, appreciate your time.

To follow Oliver @oscholfield