Chantal Petitclerc (b. 1969)

October 2024: Women Athletes

Chantal Petitclerc

Chantal Petitclerc has continued to break barriers through her work in sport and advocacy. A wheelchair racer, she is a leading figure in supporting persons with disabilities. 

Born in 1969, Chantal grew up in rural Quebec. At thirteen years old, she suffered an accident that fractured her spine. As a result, Chantal lost the use of both her legs. In the wake of this traumatic incident, and with the support of her high school’s gym teacher, she learned to swim as a paraplegic. This strengthened her physically and mentally, offering her more independence, and unlocking her newly found competitive streak.  

At 18 years old, Chantal was introduced to wheelchair sports. Despite coming last in her very first race, she was hooked on racing, and thus began her career as wheelchair athlete. She continued her studies while training in Quebec City and then Edmonton.  

Chantal participated in five Paralympic Games throughout her career. Her first Games were in 1992 in Barcelona, where she won bronze medals in the 200m and 800m races. Her last Games were in 2008 in Beijing, where she left with an incredible sweep of five gold medals, across the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m events. In total during her career, she has won 21 Paralympic medals, of which 14 are gold! 

Chantal has broken twenty-six world records throughout her career – and has been celebrated as the most decorated female track athlete in history. She has been recognized for her incredible performances and inspiring dedication with many awards including the 2008 Lou Marsh Trophy of Canadian athlete of the year, and the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award for Canada’s female athlete of the year. Petitclerc was named Chef de Mission for Canada’s teams at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 

Chantal was appointed to the Senate of Canada in March 2016, nominated by Justin Trudeau. She is serving as the Canadian Senator from Grandville, of the Independent Senators Group. She works tirelessly to support priorities for health and rights for persons with disabilities and continues to lead the way for change even off the racetrack. 

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We hope you enjoyed this short profile on Chantal Petitclerc! For more information on her and other trailblazers, check out The Canadian Encyclopedia online, Historica Heritage Minutes and the Women of Impact Gallery.

Do you have a Canadian heroine you’d like to see featured in Voices & Stories? Have any suggestions for us? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment or a direct message on our Substack (or at any of our socials!).

You can also get in touch by email at communications@womenshistoryproject.ca