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Valérie Grand'Maison
Valérie Grand’Maison: foot to the floor
Valérie Grand’Maison, the multiple medal holder from the Beijing Paralympic Games has, so far, participated in four Défi sportif. Three times she bolted from the starting block to swim with all her might. However, the first time the S13 category para-swimmer (visual disability) got involved in the Défi sportif, she did as a volunteer.
In those days I had all my vision. I was in my fourth year of high school
, she recalls. I came back home that night and told my father how much the participating athletes had impressed me. They were doing things that I was incapable of doing and were very competitive. One year later, I was there as an athlete.
Valérie was already swimming before she lost her eyesight in June 2004, at 15 years of age. She then withdrew from her club. I gave up for about eight months. I would go and paddle about at the high school pool and sometimes I would go and see my ex-coach, Pierre Lamy.
He is the one who started the ball rolling to have her classified as a Paralympian. The Montrealer slowly came back to competitive swimming, starting to train once, twice a week, then seven times and now thirteen or fourteen times a week! He is the one who spurred me on to come back and fight for my own reasons. It lets me fight my own disability and win against my illness.
For one year now, the 21 year old athlete has been wearing the McGill University Martlets’ colours and trains under the guidance of new coach Peter Carpenter. I work differently and I’m part of a fine team. It’s stimulating!
she says. She focuses her studies on two majors, psychology and history, and aims to enter a master’s program in journalism.
However, it was quite a surprise for the Quebecer to realize that her teammates had no idea of who she was. It did affect me. That they didn’t know me is one thing, but that they were totally unaware of what the Paralympics are is something else. We have to move forward and heighten public awareness of the movement
, adds Valérie who will be at the World Long Course Championships next summer.
According to her, we have to redouble our efforts because we are on the way to lose what we had gained. There are more veterans leaving than recruits coming in. That is why it is so important to promote participation and to continue training new para-swimmers.
To illustrate the phenomenon, the Quebecer takes the Commonwealth Games as an example. In 2002 and 2006, all classes were included, whereas for 2010, there are only two or three classes represented out of thirteen. I am personally touched because I can’t go anymore, while it has been one of the very best experiences of my life.
Grand’Maison takes her role as a veteran at heart. She gives a lot to the young recruits and shares her experience so that they will be prepared as well as they can be to face the big events. She is very conscious of that, having benefited form Benoit Huot’s assistance to help with her progression. If not for Benoit’s guidance, I would not have done as well in my career
, she insists. It is important to have mentors, people who can explain how things work because you don’t know what to expect. There are no exercises or examples to prepare you for what you will experience, so it’s good to have someone to tell you what to do, how you should feel and what is normal.
Although training recruits is very important, one cannot forget the people’s education. And the Défi sportif is the best school
, she concludes.
