Watching the Journey: A Coach’s Reflection on Mark Zanette

As a coach, there are moments that stay with you forever. Seeing a former athlete step onto the Olympic stage is one of them.

I first met Mark when he was 10 years old, a young baseball player growing up in Vaughan with a quiet confidence and a strong desire to get better. Back then, the focus was simple, learning the game, building habits, understanding what it meant to prepare the right way. What stood out immediately wasn’t just his ability, but how he approached the work. He listened. He competed. He cared.

Over the years, I watched Mark grow, not just as a baseball player, but as a young man.

Vaughan Baseball Years: Built the Right Way

Mark spent his formative years playing baseball in Vaughan under Jeff Winick, in an environment that valued development, accountability and team success. He was part of two Ontario Baseball Championship teams, experiences that matter more than people sometimes realize.

Championship runs teach you how to handle pressure. They teach you how to prepare when expectations are high, how to trust teammates and how to perform when the moment demands it. Watching Mark in those environments, you could see that he didn’t shy away from big moments, he embraced them.

Those lessons don’t disappear when a sport changes. They stay with you.

Carrying Baseball Forward

Mark went on to play baseball at McMaster University, balancing varsity athletics with the demands of a Mechanical Engineering degree, which he completed in 2023. That alone tells you a lot about who he is.

Baseball gave him more than just athletic tools, it gave him discipline, patience and an understanding of process. Speed, power, coordination, mental toughness, those are baseball skills, but they’re also elite-athlete skills. I’ve always believed that good baseball development prepares athletes for life, and Mark is living proof of that.

A New Chapter I Never Saw Coming, But Makes Perfect Sense

When Mark transitioned into bobsleigh after being recruited through the RBC Training Ground National Final in 2021, I wasn’t surprised. The sport changed, but the athlete didn’t.

By the 2024–25 season, he was already competing internationally, winning three North American Cup gold medals (two four-man, one two-man) with pilot Taylor Austin. In January 2025, he made his IBSF World Cup debut, and by December 2025 he had earned his first top-10 World Cup finish in a four-man sled piloted by Pat Norton.

He also competed in his first IBSF World Championships in 2025, finishing 15th in the four-man—another important step in learning what it takes to compete at the highest level.

The Olympic Moment

Now, Mark is set to make his Olympic debut at the Milano Cortina 2026, representing Team Canada.

As a coach, that moment hits differently. You think back to the early practices, the small adjustments, the conversations about effort and mindset. You realize that while you helped guide the athlete, they did the work. They stayed consistent. They believed.

Why This Matters

Mark Zanette’s journey is a reminder to young athletes and parents that development isn’t always linear and that local sport matters. You don’t need shortcuts when you’re building the right foundation. Baseball in Vaughan helped shape an Olympian. Coaching, championships, accountability and community all played a role.

Watching Mark reach this stage is a proud moment, not just for me, but for everyone who coached him, played with him and supported him along the way.

From a 10-year-old kid on a Vaughan baseball field to an Olympian wearing the maple leaf this is why we coach.

Good luck in Milano, Mark. You’ve earned it.