Sandrine Hamel Sandrine Hamel

Recently crowned world champion Sandrine Hamel showed her potential with fifth-place finishes in the snowboard cross and banked slalom at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, her first Paralympic appearance. 

Since then, she has been making regular appearances on international podiums. At the 2022 World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer she won the gold medal in the women’s team event with Lisa DeJong, and added a bronze in the banked slalom.

Earlier in the 2021-22 World Cup circuit she collected two bronze medals. In 2018, she earned her first career World Cup medal in Landgraaf, Netherlands and in 2019 reached a new career high with two silver medals at the world championships.

Trying snowboarding for the first time at the age of eight, Hamel quickly became hooked to the feeling and adrenaline the sport provided her. She later discovered Para snowboard after seeing a commercial on TV, and consulting the Canadian Paralympic Committee website. She started competing shortly thereafter. 

When not on snow, you can find Hamel putting in work in with the punching bag to stay fit.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Gold in the women’s team event and bronze in banked slalom at 2022 World Para Snow Sports Championships… Two silver medals at the 2019 world championships… Two fifth-place finishes at 2018 Paralympic Winter Games… Member of 2017 world championship team…

PERSONAL

Born with a double major scoliosis, she also suffered a paralyzed right leg during corrective surgery… In 2019 she began studying kinesiology at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres… Would like to pursue a career in sports therapy.

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

2022 Paralympic Winter Games – snowboard cross – 8th
2022 Paralympic Winter Games – banked slalom – 10th
2022 World Championships – team event – 1st 
2022 World Championships – banked slalom – 3rd 
2019 World Championships – banked slalom – 2nd 
2019 World Championships – snowboard cross – 2nd 
2018 Paralympic Winter Games – snowboard cross – 5th
2018 Paralympic Winter Games – banked slalom – 5th
2017 World Championships – banked slalom – 7th
2017 World Championships – snowboard cross – 8th