In honour of his late grandmother, a 12-year-old soccer goalie from Virgil is using his athletic success to join in the fight against cancer.
Logan Loewen is one of five finalists in the Youth Athlete of the Year competition, a fundraiser hosted by the Colossal platform and sponsored by Sports Illustrated. The competition began with 20 athletes and narrowed to 15, then 10, and now the final five.
The winner receives an ad in Sports Illustrated and $25,000 in American dollars.
Logan is raising money for two charities: the V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Why Not You Foundation. His campaign honours his grandmother, Maria Loewen, who died of cancer in February.
First diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer in March 2023, Maria went through six months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
She was doing well until last December, when she began to feel sick again — the disease had spread to her lymph nodes.
Two months later, she passed.
Ella Loewen, Logan’s mom, said she began to feel sick again in December after doing “very good” in a lot of the year prior.
Maria lived in Germany, so visits with the family in Canada were only about “once a year.” But they maintained a close relationship through regular virtual conversations.
The family also remembers Logan’s grandfather coming to one of his games during a family visit in April 2024. Her grandmother had also come to Canada, but wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t come to the game.
Nevertheless, she was supportive and loved by her family.
“She meant a lot to the family,” said Logan’s mother, Ella Loewen, a sentiment that Logan echoed.
While not yet in his teens, Logan’s soccer resume is already extensive. He currently plays goalkeeper for Toca Pro FC, a year-round travel team based in Mississauga.
He previously played for two years with Club Roma in St. Catharines and began playing soccer in the Niagara-on-the-Lake house league.
While in St. Catharines, he started playing with kids a year older than him.
In May, Logan helped Toca Pro FC win a tournament in Miami featuring international competition, which he called his proudest moment so far. He has also attended three training camps in Italy and will return again in October to train, attend school and study Italian.
“If he continues to do well and develop, there is a chance he can get signed in Italy when he’s 15,” said Ella, referring to the possibility of entering a professional system.
Outside of his team’s regular schedule — games on weekends and practices during the week — Logan dedicates extra time to training.
“During the summer, I wake up in the morning and go for a 10-to-20-minute jog,” he said. “Then, I like working out downstairs … I have a mattress downstairs and a rebounder, so I like to dive there.”
Logan trains three to four times a week, doing one-hour sessions of strength and technical training in virtual sessions with his coach in Italy.
He also works with a dedicated goalie coach in Niagara Falls twice a week during the winter and he did swim fitness twice a week in St. Davids during the summer.
During the school year, Logan goes to school in the morning and afternoon and then it’s a similar routine.
Despite the heavy schedule, his parents say he “never ever complains,” and credit his work ethic, commitment and resilience.
“I enjoy it because I’m getting better with every practice,” Logan said.
While Logan is no stranger to competition, this fundraiser is about more than soccer — it’s about making a difference in memory of someone he loved.
Ella said she isn’t sure how much they’ve raised so far, but is encouraged by updates on the number of votes.
She hopes to raise “as much as possible.”
If he wins, Logan said he plans to use some of the $25,000 prize to help fund his training trip to Italy. The rest, he said, would go toward cancer-related causes.
While winning is the goal, Logan and his family say the money raised for charity — and the chance to honour his grandmother — are what matter most.
“It’s a bit nerve-racking, because I know there’s other people who want this as much as me,” said Logan. “But it also feels good because I know it’s for a good cause … I want to give back.”
Voting closes Sept. 4, and the winner will be announced Oct. 17. Each U.S. $1 donation counts as one vote — U.S. $25 equals 25 votes, and so on.
To donate, visit athleteoftheyear.org/2025/logan-79a1.
