About the 2027 Edition
The next Défi sportif AlterGo will take place from April 22 to May 2, 2027. Preparations are already well underway to deliver an exceptional 44th edition of the event to thousands of athletes with disabilities.
These athletes will come from Quebec, Canada, and around the world to take part in a variety of sports competitions fully adapted to their needs, across the event’s four components.
Once again, this year, the programming will feature our usual favourite competitions as well as some sports returning after being gone for a few years and some exciting new additions.
Here’s a bit of what to expect!
In 2027, the event will feature:
- More than 6000 athletes
- More than 100 schools and readaptation centres
- Athletes with all types of disabilities: hearing, intellectual, motor, visual, speech and language disorders, as well as autism spectrum disorder.
- 12 sports: athletics, baseball, basketball, boccia, functional circuit, rhythmic gymnastics, hockey, swimming, wheelchair rugby, soccer, table tennis and volleyball.
- More than 1 000 volunteers
- 6 competition sites
- More than 100 partners contributing to the success of the event
Big news: the Défi sportif AlterGo introduces an adult component!
In response to growing demand from young athletes who wish to continue participating in the Défi sportif AlterGo after they finish school, an adult component has been added to the event’s program.
Therefore, these athletes, as a well as other adults who have never taken part in school competitions before, will be able to participate in athletics competitions in the welcoming setting the Défi sportif AlterGo is known for.
The athletics competitions will be held in two distinct divisions: the discovery division and the competitive division, as to meet the needs of every participant.
Another first: Canada Deaf Games
Thanks to a collaboration between the Association sportive des Sourds du Québec (ASSQ), the Canadian Deaf Sports Association (CDSA) and AlterGo, the Défi sportif AlterGo will host the Canada Deaf Games for the first time ever in 2027.
These games will bring together deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes from across Canada, giving them an occasion to meet one another, as they enjoy an active lifestyle through various sports: table tennis, badminton, volleyball, basketball and bowling.
Major competitions
The World Boccia Cup, one of the biggest international competitions of the event, will be back at the Défi sportif AlterGo 2027 as well as the Women’s Wheelchair Rugby National Championship, which will hold its second ever edition.
Junior parahockey, para-athletics the Chantal Petitclerc Classic, Special Olympics, wheelchair basketball, powerchair soccer and many more will also make their return for Quebecers and Canadian athletes.
Bigger and better school sports
Once again, this year, the popular school component will be at the heart of the event, with its 7 days of competitions and its more than 6 000 athletes. The mini marathon will kick off the whole event at Parc Jarry on Thursday, April 22.
About the Défi sportif AlterGo
The Défi sportif AlterGo is the biggest annual multisport event in Canada. Unique in the world and with international reach, the event has been bringing together elite and up-and-coming athletes with all types of disabilities since 1984.
More than an event, the Défi sportif AlterGo aims to:
- Help people with disabilities adopt an active lifestyle and discover adapted sports throughout Quebec all year long.
- Serve as a key driver of awareness and social inclusion for young people with disabilities by engaging with elected officials, volunteers, partners and the public.
