Chantal Petitclerc

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 Paralympic Games, the World Championships, and the Commonwealth Games. Chantal 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. Chantal shares her story to illustrate the importance of perseverance, goals, vision and, most importantly, dreams.


Contact Speakers' Spotlight

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.
    Vice President, Alcan Primary Metal Group

Bio

Chantal est née le 15 décembre 1969 à Saint-Marc-des-Carrières, au Québec. À 13 ans un accident la prive de l’usage de ses jambes. Alors, un professeur d’activité physique à l’école secondaire, Gaston Jacques, aura une influence déterminante sur elle, lorsqu’il la convainc d’essayer la natation pour développer sa force physique et sa résistance. Pour Chantal, c’est un premier contact avec le sport et l’entraînement.

À 18 ans, Pierre Pomerleau, un entraîneur de l’Université Laval de Québec, lui fait découvrir l’athlétisme en fauteuil roulant. Utilisant un fauteuil «bricolé», elle participe à sa première compétition et termine… bonne dernière, loin derrière les autres concurrents. Qu’à cela ne tienne, c’est le coup de foudre pour la course et le début d’une longue et fructueuse carrière!

Parallèlement, elle poursuit des études, d’abord en Sciences humaines au Cégep de Sainte-Foy et, par la suite, en Histoire à l’Université de l’Alberta, où elle s’est inscrite afin de pouvoir s’entraîner sous la direction de celui qui est toujours son «coach», Peter Eriksson.

Chantal dispute ses premiers Jeux Paralympiques à Barcelone en 1992, d’où elle reviendra avec deux médailles de bronze, l’amorce d’une imposante récolte qui comprend aujourd’hui une médaille olympique et 16 médailles paralympiques.

Et l’avenir ? Au retour d’Athènes en 2004 Chantal déclarait aux journalistes vouloir poursuivre sa carrière mais ne pas savoir si elle serait du prochain rendez-vous olympique et paralympique de Beijing en 2008. Une histoire à suivre…