For the first time in 26 years, Caroline Viau participated at the Paralympic Winter Games last month in PyeongChang. However this time it was not as one of Canada’s top Para alpine skiers but as a member of the mission staff in athlete services.
Viau won one gold and two bronze medals during the 1992 Albertville Paralympic Winter Games, in France.
‘’The Games have changed a great deal since then,’’ said Viau. ‘’All the structure the Canadian Paralympic Committee brings to the team is really incredible and that has made an impact in how we perform. We can really see the results from all the efforts that’s been put in in the years leading up to the Games.’’
Her best memory from South Korea last month, besides Canada’s incredible record performance at the Games, was her one on ones with Canadian athletes particularly the younger competitors. As she did, they are living through a disability in their sensitive teenage years.
‘’I certainly relived what I had gone through as a teenager through them,’’ said Viau, who lost her arm at age five. ‘’That’s the age when it reality hits you. Some are in the stages of acceptance of a recent disability and by coming to these Games they realize they are part of a bigger community.’’
Viau currently lives in Bromont with her husband and her four boys: Alexis 21, Hugo 19, Frederic 14 and Raphael 13, all heavily involved in sports. She works at a local school as a guidance counselor.
After staying at home for several years to raise her children, Viau recently decided to follow her dream and start a career as a speaker. Her background as an amputee, athlete and mother, combined with years of volunteering and interacting with people from all walks of life, led her to realize the importance of a positive mindset and resilience to push past the hardships that we all encounter along our journey.
