Valérie Grand'Maison
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| Nationality | Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
October 12, 1988 Fleurimont, Quebec | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 4 1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes |
Freestyle Breaststroke Butterfly Medley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | CAMO Swim Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Valérie Grand'Maison (born on October 12, 1988) is a Canadian swimmer. Over two Summer Paralympic Games she won a total of six medals setting multiple world records in Paralympic swimming.
Biography
Valérie Grand'Maison is the daughter of François Grand'Maison, the director of neurology at the Clinique Neuro Rive-Sud, in Montérégie. Valérie started swimming at the age of seven years and started to compete competitively at the age of nine years with the swimming club CAMO of Montréal.[1]
Valérie Grand'Maison developed a condition that degrades the vision of the eyes called mascular degeneration at the age of 12. By the time she was 15 she lost most of her vision in both eyes.[2] Pierre Lamy, her swimming coach in her club CAMO, suggested that she get classified as an athlete who is handicapped.[3]
At the 2005 Canada Games in Regina she qualified to be part of the Canadian Handicapped Swimming Team. She then participated at the Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia. In 2006 at the National Swimming Paralympic Championships in South Africa, she won seven medals with five of them being gold. She also established a new record for the 100 Metre free.[4] At the 2008 Summer Paralympics Grand’Maison won six medals, with three of them being gold. One gold was for the 100 Metre Butterfly, another for the 100 Metre Free and the last for the 400 Metre Free. In addition she broke two world records.[5]
In 2010 a right shoulder injury put her career on hold.[6] Grand'Maison changed her swimming schedule to accommodate the injury. She currently is a member of the McGill University’s Marlets and trains with her new coach, Peter Carpenter.
In 2011, at the Pan-Pacific Championships in Edmonton, Grand'Maison raced the 200 m individual medley and won the gold medal. She also added three silver medals and one bronze to her collection. Grand'Maison finished second in the 50 m freestyle, 200 m freestyle and 100 m breaststroke. In addition, she won third place in the 100 m butterfly and fifth in the 100 m freestyle.[7]
At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, Grand'Maison participated in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle, 100 m breakstroke and 200 m individual medley events.[8] She won silver medals in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle (S13) and a gold medal in the 200 m medley, setting a world record.[9][10][11]
Personal life
Grand'Maison is currently in her fourth year at McGill University majoring in psychology and minoring in history with the goal of pursuing a master's degree.[12] She currently trains with the McGill Swimming Team, The McGill Martlets. In addition to swimming she enjoys music, literature and cinema.
References
- ↑ Valérie Grand'Maison. Camonatation.org. Retrieved on May 21, 2014.
- ↑ "Entrevue avec Valérie Grand'Maison, championne paralympique" (in French). Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Quebec Division). 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ↑ Valérie Grand'Maison – Portrait d'athlète 2010 – Défi sportif. Defisportif.com. Retrieved on May 21, 2014.
- ↑ Valérie Grand'Maison, championne internationale – Les Archives de Radio-Canada. Archives.radio-canada.ca. Retrieved on May 21, 2014.
- ↑ Jeux paralympiques – Valérie Grand'Maison récolte sa troisième médaille d'or. Le Devoir. September 11, 2008.
- ↑ Valérie Grand’Maison relève les défis pour redevenir une candidate paralympique. Swimming.ca. August 25, 2012.
- ↑ Pires, José António (August 17, 2011) Valérie Grand’Maison fait le plein de médailles – Divers. Le Plateau. Retrieved on May 21, 2014.
- ↑ Lorange, Simon-Olivier (August 29, 2012) Valérie Grand'Maison: la revenante | Simon-Olivier Lorange | Sports aquatiques. Lapresse.ca. Retrieved on May 21, 2014.
- ↑ Grand'Maison en finale du 50 m libre. Rds.ca (September 1, 2012). Retrieved on May 21, 2014.
- ↑ Sports – nouvelles & résultats | statistiques, vidéos, photos | RDS.ca. Rdsolympiques.ca. Retrieved on May 21, 2014.
- ↑ Le Canada en argent | ICI.Radio-Canada.ca. Radio-canada.ca. September 2, 2012.
- ↑ Hynes, Jim (September 28, 2012) Meet McGill Paralympian Valérie Grand’Maison : McGill Reporter. Publications.mcgill.ca.