12 Days of Triumph: Unstoppable Aurélie Rivard steamrolling to 2020 Paralympics

For this holiday season, we will be celebrating some of our favourite sport memories from throughout the year. Canada’s Para athletes achieved a lot in 2019, and we will be remembering one performance each day for 12 days.

She’s only 23, but Aurélie Rivard is already an established veteran and the brightest star on Canada’s Para swimming team.

In her biggest competition of 2019, the World Para Swimming Championships at London in September, she captured five medals (two gold, one silver, and two bronze), including triumphs in the S10 50-m and 100-m free races, upping her career total to 14 podium finishes in four appearances since she made her worlds debut at age 14 in 2010.

“Aurélie’s performances at the world championships were a testament to her professionalism, determination and commitment to being the best,” said her coach Mike Thompson at the CHP-Quebec High Performance Centre in Montreal. “I was exceptionally proud of her at worlds and it’s a pleasure to work with her every day.”

Thanks to her successes in London, Rivard, who was born with an underdeveloped left hand, earned a nomination to the Canadian Paralympic Committee to make her third Paralympic Games appearance next year.

She has five medals in two trips to the Paralympic Games so far, including three gold at Rio 2016 after which she was named Canada’s Closing Ceremony flag bearer.

By all indications, she is ready to peak for Tokyo 2020.