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Chantal Petitclerc...
… the athlete
Chantal Petitclerc needs no introduction. Having garnered 21 paralympic medals, 14 of them gold, she acquired an unequivocal reputation during her prolific career. But, who could have told a few years ago, back in 1988, when the young woman from Saint-Marc-des-Carrières finished dead last in her first ever race, that she would become one of the most titled athletes in the history of the Paralympics?
While many would have given up right then and there, Petitclerc saw in that event a source of motivation, a challenge to be met. "I never thought of giving up. You always have the strength to face the challenges that life brings. You have to find that strength within yourself. I suppose, for all sorts of reasons, that I found it, first as a person living with a disability, but mainly as an athlete, and maybe that is the key. You don't want to ask yourself if you have the might to face challenges, but where are the tools and how to get them within yourself", the quintuple gold medalist at the Beijing Games confided.
After having accumulated medals upon records, the Quebecer decided to bow out at the peak of her fame. Rest assured, the talented athlete is not dropping out of competition, but only leaving the track.
"I have an undeniable passion for my sport. Right off the start, my objectives as an athlete were very clear. I had a big dream of becoming the best in the world in my sport and I think that was what fueled me. You have to have huge dreams, great ambitions and be ready to put in the necessary time" says Petitclerc.
… the pioneer
It's hard to imagine that not such a long time ago, in 1990, Petitclerc was refused access to the athletics tracks for fear that her wheels might damage them. Even if that seems a bygone era, the different treatment reserved for Olympians and Paralympians, in financial support as well as in media coverage shows there is still a way to go.
"Historically, as for any developing sport, and it is also true of the Olympic disciplines where the new sports are less popular, it is difficult to draw people. On the one hand, they think it is less competitive and, on the other, there is the whole handicap aspect, which leads to the belief that there can't be high performance. But little by little, people realize that the disability has nothing to do with it, that the racing wheelchair is a tool, just like a bike or a kayak. And that is what's important to see", maintains the one who works tirelessly for the recognition of her sport and of wheelchair athletes.
… the award winner
Following her raid on the Paralympics presented in Beijing, the nomination of Chantal Petitclerc for various awards was more than obvious. The year 2008 was unquestionably exceptional for the wheelchair racer. The large number of awards she won is proof enough.
Petitclerc is the second paralympic athlete, after Rick Hansen in 1998, to win the prestigious Lou Marsh Trophy, presented since 1936 to the Canadian athlete of the year. In addition, she received the Bobbie Rosenfeld award given by the Canadian Press to the female athlete of the year in Canada; she is the fifth Quebecer to be given the honour and the first Paralympian.
She has also won the titles of Quebec athlete of the year awarded by La Presse/Cyberpresse and MSN/Sympatico, on top of receiving a Montréal Lauréat and being named Outstanding overall athlete of the year by Athletics Canada. As if it was not enough, she was named sports personality of the year at the La Presse Excellence gala.
… the committed
Aside from acting as Défi sportif spokesperson since 1998, Chantal Petitclerc is one of the Athlete Ambassadors for Right To Play, a humanitarian non-governmental organization committed to promoting sports and physical activity with children in developing countries.
"To succeed, an athlete must be very focused on himself or herself. Being involved in a project of that type allows me to give and it creates a nice balance. Sports bring us a lot and it's good to ask ourselves 'What can I give in return?'"
Chantal Petitclerc… a multi-faceted athlete!
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