Chantal Petitclerc

The Honourable
Chantal Petitclerc
CC, CQ, MSM
Senator from Quebec
Assumed office
March 18, 2016
Nominated by Justin Trudeau
Appointed by David Johnston
Personal details
Born (1969-12-15) December 15, 1969
Saint-Marc-des-Carrières, Quebec
Political party Non-affiliated
Spouse(s) James Duhamel
Children Elliot Duhamel
Chantal Petitclerc
Sport
Country  Canada
Sport wheelchair racer
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Women's athletics
Paralympic Games
1996 Atlanta 100 m T54
1996 Atlanta 200 m T54
2000 Sydney 200 m T54
2000 Sydney 800 m T54
2004 Athens 100 m T54
2004 Athens 200 m T54
2004 Athens 400 m T54
2004 Athens 800 m T54
2004 Athens 1500 m T54
2008 Beijing 100 m T54
2008 Beijing 200 m T54
2008 Beijing 400 m T54
2008 Beijing 800 m T54
2008 Beijing 1500 m T54
1996 Atlanta 400 m T54
1996 Atlanta 800 m T54
1996 Atlanta 1500 m T54
2000 Sydney 100 m T54
2000 Sydney 400 m T54
1992 Barcelona 200 m TW4
1992 Barcelona 800 m TW4

Chantal Petitclerc, CC, CQ, MSM (born December 15, 1969 in Saint-Marc-des-Carrières, Quebec) is a Canadian wheelchair racer and a Senator from Quebec.

Early life

At the age of 13, Petitclerc lost the use of both legs in an accident when at a friend's farm, a heavy barn door fell on her, fracturing her spine.[1] Gaston Jacques, a high school physical education teacher, was to have a decisive influence on her life when he taught her to swim for four lunch hours a week throughout high school as she was unable to participate in the gym course.[2] In a 2011 interview, she stated that, "[swimming] really helped me get more fit and stronger, and helped me live a more independent life in a wheelchair." Swimming also allowed her to discover her competitive drive.[1] While she had previously been first in her class academically, it was her introduction to the world of competitive racing.[2]

Sport

When she was eighteen, Pierre Pomerleau, a trainer at Université Laval in Quebec City, introduced her to wheelchair sports. Using a homemade wheelchair, she took part in her first race and came last, well behind the other competitors. However, she had fallen in love with wheelchair racing and a long and fruitful career had begun.

While Petitclerc was developing her skills as a wheelchair athlete, she pursued her studies, first in social sciences at the CEGEP de Sainte-Foy and then in history at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where she registered in order to be able to train with Peter Eriksson, who remains her coach to this day.

Petitclerc competed in the Paralympic Games for the first time in Barcelona in 1992, returning with two bronze medals, the start of collection that now includes twenty one Paralympic medals, fourteen of them gold. Four years later, at the Atlanta games, she took gold medals in the 100 and 200 m events and three silvers in the 400, 800, and 1500 m races. At the 2000 Summer Paralympics, she won two golds, in the 200 m and 800 m, and two silvers, in the 100 m and 400 m races. She won three gold medals (in 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m) and a bronze (800 m) at the 2002 World Championships and a gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the 800 m. At the 2004 Summer Olympics (where wheelchair racing was an exhibition sport) she won the 800 m, and went on to an impressive showing with 5 gold medals at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. When she returned from Athens in 2004, Petitclerc told reporters the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing would be her last big international meeting but that she will continue training and road racing for a while. For her performance in 2008, she was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year[3] and the Canadian Press's Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada's female athlete of the year.[4]

With her 5 golds in the 2004 Paralympics, she tied the existing Canadian gold medal record at a single Games, Winter or Summer, set by Stephanie Dixon at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. Her 5 golds in the 2008 Paralympics tied that record. As of 2010, the record still stood.[5] As of 2012 she holds five world records for wheelchair racing.[6]

She was chosen as the flagbearer of the Canadian team at the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Commonwealth Games.[7]

Petitclerc lives in Montreal, and trains at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard.

Rio Tinto Alcan is her main sponsor since 1998.

Petitclerc was appointed as a coach and mentor to the British athletics team ahead of the 2012 Summer Paralympics, working alongside her former coach and UK Athletics' Paralympic head coach Peter Eriksson.[8]

Petitclerc was named the Chef de Mission for Canada’s 2014 Commonwealth Games team.[7] She was also named Chef de Mission for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.[9]

Personal life

Petitclerc is married to electro-acoustic music composer James Duhamel and gave birth to son Elliot in December 2013.[1]

Senate

On March 18, 2016, Petitclerc was named to the Senate of Canada on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She will sit as an Independent senator, not affiliated to any political party.[10]

Honours and Awards

The St-Marc-des-Carrières municipal ice hockey arena now bears her name.

In 2002, Petitclerc was awarded with the Meritorious Service Medal (civil division).[11]

In 2005, Petitclerc was made a Knight of the Order of Quebec[12]

On June 16, 2009, it was announced that Petitclerc would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. The induction ceremony was held on September 12, 2009.[13]

In 2009, she was made a Companion of the Order of Canada "for her achievements as a Paralympic champion known internationally as an inspiration, and for her commitment to developing sports for athletes with a disability".[14]

In 2012 she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Alberta.[6]

Petitclerc has also received both the Queen's Golden Julbilee Medal [15] and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.[16]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Freeborn, Jeremy. "Chantal Petitclerc". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  2. 1 2 "Chantal Petitclerc, 2004". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  3. ↑ "Petitclerc wins 2008 Lou Marsh Award". The Sports Network. 2008-12-09. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  4. ↑ "Petitclerc voted CP's female athlete of the year". The Sports Network. 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  5. ↑ Vancouver Sun, "Woolstencroft wins fifth gold medal", CanWest News Service, 21 March 2010 (accessed 21 March 2010)
  6. 1 2 Roy-Brenneis, Derek (April 30, 2012). "UAlberta honorary degrees announced". University of Alberta.
  7. 1 2 "Chantal Petitclerc brings passion to Commonwealth Games". Glasgow 2014 XX Commonwealth Games. CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. July 17, 2014. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Chantal Petitclerc to join GB Paralympic athletics team as coach". bbc.co.uk. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Chantal Petitclerc named Canada's chef de mission for Rio Paralympics". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. September 8, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Murray Sinclair, Chantal Peticlerc among 7 new Liberal-appointed Senators". CBC. CBC News. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Honours Secretariat, Governor General of Canada". Honours Secretariat, Office of the governor General. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Order of Quebec". Order of Quebec. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  13. ↑ "The Stars Align at the 12th Annual Canada's Walk of Fame". Canada's Walk of Fame. 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
  14. ↑ "Governor General announces 60 new appointments to the Order of Canada". July 1, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-07-05.
  15. ↑ "Honours Secretariat, Governor General of Canada". Honours Secretariat, Office of the governor General. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Honours Secretariat, Governor General of Canada". Honours Secretariat, Office of the governor General. Retrieved April 14, 2016.

External links

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