PROFILE
Chantal Petitclerc
The Golden Wheel-Chaired champion
By Ambassadors Staff
The 38 year old wheel chaired lady from Montreal
was the winner of five gold medals in the Beijing Paralympic Games in September
2008. She lost the use of her legs as a 13-year-old when a heavy barn door fell
on her. She has been synonymous with both sports excellence and the integration
of people with disabilities into the Canadian mainstream. In 1990 she and fellow
racers Jelf Adams of Brampton Ontario, were being ordered off tracks because
their wheels might damage the running surface.
In 2002, in Manchester, England, she was the first wheel-chaired Canadian athlete to win a Commonwealth medal. In 2004, she was chosen as Nation Builder by the Globe and Mail following the Athens Olympics and soon made it to the highest rank on Chateleine Magazine's Woman of the Year.
|
|
She finished third in a survey of most admired peoples from Quebec--behind former Premier Rene Lévesque, writer and actress Janette Bertrand, and ahead of singer Celine Dion. Part of that owes to her frequent appearance on Quebec's French-language TV talk-show circuit. In 2004, she was named Canadian of the Year by Maclean's Magazine. In 2006, at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne Australia, she led the Canadian team into the massive Melbourne Cricket Grounds as the flag-bearer. In 2008, she succeeded to amass a whopping total of 21 medals including 14 golden, 5 silver and two bronze. She has not lost in 10 consecutive paralymic races dating back to 2004. She won the 1500meter in 3 minutes and 39.88 seconds. 3:40.99 with Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland took third place at 3:41.03. Dianne Roy of Hatley, Quebec was 8th in 3:43.66. Petitclerc ranks as one of Canada's most decorated paralympic athletes. Michael Edgson, a blind swimmer who now lives in Delta, British Columbia won 18 gold and 3 silver medals over three Games.
Petitclerc said she will always remember that moment when she crossed the finish line at the bird's nest, arms raised winning her final paralympic gold medal.
The international Olympic committee member Richard Pound said "racing her you want to get tough and beat her, but at the same time, you are in awe of her" while Shelley Woods of Britain said :she is a big inspiration, one of my heroines!" She was Canada's highlight performed in Beijing.
Petitclerc now travels around Canada giving motivational speeches to those with special needs.
She capped a year of outsized achievement today by winning the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s top athlete. Named for a former Toronto Star sports editor, the award is voted on by sports journalists from across the country. Petitclerc is the award’s 71st recipient since 1936.
|
Chantal Petitclerc--Photo Gallery |
|
