Meet the Coach!

Saulo Neves de Oliveira joined Ambrose as a faculty member in the School of Education. Little did he know that his arrival would change Lions Athletics.

Neves de Oliveira is no stranger to running, having ran 800m, 1500m and 3k steeple chase as an elite athlete in Brazil from 1999 to 2015 for one of the main Brazilian running clubs, the Sogipa. Outside of his prowess as an elite athlete, Neves de Oliveira ran multiple 5k 10k, and half-marathon races. 

In 2015, already out of the high performance, he joined the University of Calgary Dinos while getting a PhD focused on running and ageing.

"I ran could cross-country events and track, 1500m and 3k steeple chase. And it was my last year at a competitive level," said Neves de Oliveira. "In 1999 I started my involvement with developing newer generations of athletes in the same club I competed for. I received a scholarship to pursue my studies in Sports & Physical Education. Since then, I have been involved in coaching diverse ages, from children to Masters, and various levels of athletic performance, from community to international competition."

Most recently, Neves de Oliveira was the Cross Country Running Coach for the Prairie Pilots, leading five athletes to Nationals for the first time in program history. His prior time coaching in the ACAC will be an asset to the young Lions program. 

"I'm excited about the new cross-country running team and its upcoming first season! It feels great to be part of something fresh and to see all the enthusiasm from our teammates and coaches," said Neves de Oliveira. "There's a sense of anticipation in the air, and I'm looking forward to building team spirit and supporting each other through the challenges that come our way."

Ambrose heads to their first official race as an ACAC Cross Country Program on September 6, 2025, hosted by the Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder. 

"My vision for the program's future is to establish a strong foundation where athletes can develop their skills and love for running. I hope to create a supportive and inclusive environment fostering personal growth, teamwork, and resilience," said Neves de Oliveira. "Ultimately, I want our team to become competitive within the ACAC while encouraging lifelong friendships and a sense of community among our runners."

Go Lions go!

Interested in running? Contact Coach Saulo at saulo.neves@ambrose.edu or fill out a recruitment form!