Benoit Huot: Linking the past and present in Canadian Para swimming

MONTREAL – Benoit Huot approached his Para sport career as a small business enterprise in his 20 years with the national team. He capitalized on emerging social media tools and his made-for-TV charisma to educate and promote the public on his sport, the Paralympic Movement and his personal brand.

Huot’s famous saying was his dream was that “one day, a Paralympic medal will have as much value in the eyes of the public as an Olympic medal.” Today, that dream is closer than ever to becoming a reality thanks in large part to Huot and others like him.

In addition to their relentless training, many Canadian Paralympians, including Huot, became and continue to be powerful ambassadors for Para sport, using every platform and opportunity available to raise awareness and inspire change.

“I hope I’ve shown that a Paralympic athlete can be recognized and celebrated like any Olympic or professional athlete,’’ said Huot, 43, who competed at five Paralympic Games and won 20 medals. ‘’Before my generation that was extremely rare. Now you see someone like Aurélie Rivard able to find success both in sport and sponsorship.”

Huot realized at a young age that being frustrated or complaining about the lack of Para sport exposure was going to get him nowhere. He knew the only strategy was to use the tools at his disposal to spread the word about his sports world.

And the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Huot’s career was in full development as Facebook, Twitter, and other social media began to provide a direct link for Para athletes to their peers, the disability community – especially youth – and those curious about this growing sports movement.

‘’I was determined to change people’s perception of the Paralympic Movement,” he recalled. ‘’Whether it was social media or TV I wanted to educate and inform. I did that for two decades on my own initiative.”

And he did it in both of Canada’s official languages to boot.

Huot credits his parents for instilling the values that shaped his leadership.  

“My father provided constructive criticism, and my mother gave us a strict structure,’’ he said.

Of course, his mentors in the sport are some of the who’s who in Canadian and international Para swimming, including Chelsey Gotell, a three-time Paralympian and 12-time Games medallist (now a Governing Board member of the International Paralympic Committee) and Stephanie Dixon, a 19-time Paralympic medallist and Canada’s chef de mission at both the 2019 Parapan American Games and  2020 Paralympic Games.

There was also Elisabeth Walker-Young, Andrew Haley, and Philippe Gagnon, Canada’s Para swimming King when he took Huot under his wing.

“The Canadian Para swimming team has always been able to pass the torch,’’ said Huot, whose best Games memory is his 200-metre individual medley victory in London. ‘’We’ve been able to integrate Para swimming into clubs across Canada, and those clubs quickly learned how to develop swimmers with a disability and help them reach their goals.”

Even his fiercest rival Andre Brasil from Brazil showed the importance of Para athletes working towards the greater good.

‘’Without Andre I wouldn’t have had such a long career,’’ Huot said. ‘’He pushed me between 2012 and 2016 to become a better person and competitor. You don’t go through a 20-year career without re-inventing yourself.’’

Huot is one of four inductees in the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2025. He feels the timing is perfect for the accolade. The memories are still fresh but far enough to re-analyze with a mature outlook. And as a bonus, his two children can get a better understanding of his impact in Para sport.

And today he still has a strong presence on social media and has been part of CBC/Radio-Canada’s coverage of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

‘’It all went by so fast,’’ he said. ‘’I’m grateful for the journey, for the people, and for the chance to have made a difference.’’