Three coaching changes, the sudden death of a teammate and a Paralympic qualification to be confirmed. In the turmoil experienced by the Canadian wheelchair basketball team, the leadership of captain Cindy Ouellet was put to the test recently.
And the Quebecer answered the call.
During a pivotal year where uncertainty was omnipresent, Ouellet was able to bring the troops together to lead them towards the long-awaited Paralympic qualification.
Casually, Cindy Ouellet will be participating in the Paralympic Games for the sixth time, and a fifth in wheelchair basketball. She also competed in para-nordic skiing in PyeongChang in 2018.
The road to get there will not have been easy, but the 35-year-old athlete is happy to have one more chance to finally get the first Paralympic medal of her career.
It’s the only medal I’m missing. We obviously take it one match at a time, but it’s been a few years since we’ve had difficulty getting past the quarter-finals. I think we will organize ourselves to get there this time and set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
Cindy Ouellet
“We are a team that has followed each other for many years, we know each other so much and we have faced a lot of adversity in the last year. With everything we’ve been through, I believe we’re a unique, truly united team. The cohesion has been exceptional in recent months and it will create sparks in Paris. »
Before the World Championships in spring 2023, coach Marc Antoine Ducharme was replaced on an interim basis by Marni Abbott-Peter, who held the position until the start of the fall. It was then Paul Bowes who took the reins of the team on the eve of the Parapan American Games. A few days after her appointment, Quebecer Maude Jacques died of a virulent bacterial infection.
The flow simply did not go well between Bowes and the Canadian players in Santiago, so much so that in March, Michèle Sung became the team’s fourth coach in less than a year.
“I think that the role of leader, if you will, came naturally to me, when we lacked stability with our coaches. I took the time to contact the girls to make sure everything was going well on their end. I stayed close to my teammates so that all the girls were ready when we arrived in the match, regardless of the coach on the bench,” explained Ouellet.
This time, everything seems to be going well, as the veteran explains.
“We needed a change, I think, and we finally seem to have found the right one fit. Michèle listens to us a lot, she didn’t want to change our strategies, but she still brings her experience to make small modifications. She understood our vibe. »
“We think a lot, a lot about her”
PHOTO FROM THE WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL CANADA X ACCOUNT
Cindy Ouellet
The unexpected death of Maude Jacques, a month before the Parapan American Games, was obviously a hard blow for Ouellet and her teammates. Jacques returned to the team during the summer of 2023 with the aim of qualifying for the Paris Paralympic Games.
It wasn’t easy. I knew her for 15 years and she was really important to all of us. It’s not easy to lose a teammate like that. She was also involved in wheelchair basketball in Quebec and I think everyone knew her. We think about her a lot, a lot.
Cindy Ouellet
The Canadians officially got their ticket to Paris in Osaka, Japan, a few weeks ago, at the last chance tournament where they went undefeated. Cindy Ouellet assures that the group will play in honor of Maude Jacques in the French capital.
“It’s certain that we want to win for Maude, she’s still part of our team. With our high performance director, we had Maude’s initials and her number embroidered on the inside of our new jerseys. We wore them in Japan and we will also have them in Paris to remind ourselves that she is with us and that she still helps us. »
If Ouellet remains humble about his role as leader, his teammate Élodie Tessier does not hesitate to recall the importance that his captain has within the Canadian team.
“Cindy, she’s a great leader. She pushed us to hold our heads high over the past year. She takes care of us, she is serious and she is really the one who solidifies the chemistry of our team,” said Tessier.
Cindy Ouellet’s passion is still present after so many years. After the Paris Games, she will have in her sights the 2026 World Championships which will take place in Ottawa. And at this time, the next Paralympic Games will only take place two years later.
A seventh participation in the Games? Cindy Ouellet doesn’t want to get too far ahead, but she will never close the door to an additional challenge. Whatever her decision, her teammates will follow her with full confidence.
reference: www.lapresse.ca