Resilience and Perseverance to the top: Sharing my story

Chantal Petitclerc
Paralympic Champion | World Record Holder

Obstacles do not get in the way of Chantal Petitclerc. The epitome of determination, perseverance, and discipline, Chantal 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. Canada’s Lou Marsh Trophy winner for Athlete of the Year in 2008 and a Member of the Order of Canada, Chantal tells her incredible story to show others that challenges are simply a starting point for success.

At just 13 years old, Chantal lost the use of her legs following an accident. Four years later, she would discover wheelchair athletics, paving the way for a long and very successful career which would take her to the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 and ultimately, to the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. She retired after Beijing with a total of 21 medals — 14 of them gold — and 25 world records broken, making her the most celebrated track athlete in history as well as the only Canadian athlete to have won gold medals at the Olympics, Paralympics, and Commonwealth Games.

In 2012, Chantal became coach and mentor of the UK track and field team at the London Paralympic Games. After her return to Canada, she was named Chef de Mission for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and was the Chef de Mission for Canada’s Paralympic Team in Rio in 2016.  Now a commentator for the games on CBC and Radio-Canada, she remains active in the sport community.

She also participates in projects for many Paralympic athletics and sports organizations, in addition to working as a spokesperson for Défi Sportif and as an ambassador for Right to Play. In April 2016, she was appointed by Prime Minister Trudeau as a new independent member of the Senate, where she intends to help build a better Canada.