Chantal Petitclerc
Paralympic Champion & World Record Holder
Chantal Petitclerc is the most successful wheelchair racer of all time, boasting multiple medals from all three of the world's top athletic competitions: The Olympic and Paralymic Games, the World Championships, and the Commonwealth Games. Chantel was awarded the Lou Marsh trophy for Athlete of the Year in 2008, and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2009. In 2012, Petitclerc will join the ParalympicsGB athletics team as a coach and mentor for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Chantel shares her story to illustrate the importance of perseverance, goals, vision and, most importantly, dreams.
Obstacles do not impede Chantal Petitclerc. She has defied her physical circumstances to set new world records, capture gold medals, and become a top female athlete. She is the epitome of determination, perseverance, and discipline.
A paraplegic from the age of 13, Petitclerc set about on a mission of success by testing her limits through her passion for sports. Before long, she was leading wheelchair races in The Olympic and Paralympic Games, the World Championships, and the Commonwealth Games.
Petitclerc took on the best in the world at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece and brought home five Gold medals, three world records and a Paralympic Record for Canada. She also successfully defended her title in the women's 800-metre wheelchair race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, earning her a collection of 16 medals.
Petitclerc capped an amazing Paralympic career at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by winning a second consecutive sweep of all five races at the Games. Over the course of all five Paralympic Games she won 14 gold, five silver, and two bronze medals, making her the most successful wheelchair racer of all time. She was awarded the Lou Marsh trophy for Athlete of the Year for 2008, and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2009. In 2012, Petitclerc will join the ParalympicsGB athletics team as a coach and mentor for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Petitclerc is a bilingual spokesperson for causes close to her heart, and gives inspiring presentations on her athletic experiences.
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2. Celebrity Appearances
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1. Sharing My Story
Every year, hundreds — even thousands — of people have the opportunity to attend one of Chantal Petitclerc's talks.
In English or in French, Chantal speaks about the stages of her life, the circumstances that brought her to become a wheelchair track and field athlete, her major victories, and her minor disappointments.
Without preaching, she uses her own story to illustrate the importance of perseverance, ambitious goals, vision, and, especially, dreams.
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Ms. Petitclerc exemplifies perseverance and excellence-two qualities that attracted Alcan to become associated with her. In the past three years, Chantal has had the opportunity to meet thousands of Alcan employees across Canada and around the world. We know how much she is appreciated and how proud our employees are to be associated with such a great athlete and such an extraordinary person.
