The crowd at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex made its presence felt when the house announcer introduced Anthony Bouchard at the Canadian Paralympic Trials last June. It was the perfect atmosphere to celebrate his first qualification for a Paralympic Games, something the athlete says would never have been possible without the involvement of his coach Nathalie Séguin.
It was the third day of activities at the Paralympic Trials and the 100m final was about to begin. The shouts and cheers quickly gave way to complete silence as the starting gun went off.
Even though he knew he only had to complete the distance to get his ticket to Paris, Anthony Bouchard wanted to give it his all. He wanted to take advantage of this moment of calm to motivate himself one last time before setting off. At that moment, 100 meters separated him from the Paralympic Games in Paris.
Bouchard covered the distance in 17.40 seconds, a time good for the bronze medal and, more importantly, a spot on the Canadian Paralympic team. Athletics Canada then presented him with a giant boarding pass, a symbol of this great achievement that he humbly shares with Nathalie Séguin.
“Nathalie was the first person who helped me in my journey and she is still just as important today. We developed a great bond from the start, she is always looking for solutions, it is one of her great qualities. She was a key part of this participation in the Paralympic Games,” says Anthony, near the finish line that he had just crossed a few minutes earlier.
He also explains that, for him, Nathalie is more than a coach. She will never hesitate to put in extra hours and would be willing to do any task to help him.
“This is the reality of Paralympic sport and the budgets related to our disciplines. Anthony may need an extra hand in the weight room and I can’t afford to pay a physical trainer to follow him full time,” explains Nathalie Séguin.
“I don’t want to limit his progress, so I make it my duty to be there for him as much as possible. We have common goals and I will make the necessary efforts to achieve them with him.”
An unexpected… and dazzling progression!
It was in 2021, at the age of 28, that Anthony Bouchard began his career in para-athletics. One of his first reflexes was to turn to Nathalie Séguin, for whom the reputation is well established in the Quebec region.
Nathalie leads para-athletics at the Université Laval club. A specialist in grass events, she has also accompanied several on the track, in addition to having coached the Canadian men’s goalball team at the Rio Paralympic Games in 2016.
However, this was the first time that Nathalie was going to train a T52 athlete, a category reserved for athletes with very limited trunk and leg movement.
“Anthony wanted to try a competitive sport and he turned to para-athletics. We worked really well as a team. At first, we went by trial and error, we tested several things and we learned together what was best for him. He knows his body the best, but together, we work hard to know his limits.”
From the beginning of his association with Nathalie, Anthony was very clear: he absolutely wanted to participate in track events. What was not expected, however, was the speed at which he would evolve in his new discipline.
After his first international race at the Grand Prix in Nottwil in 2022, Anthony took part in two finals at the World Championships in July 2023, before winning two medals at the Parapan American Games in Santiago. He was then allowed to believe more than ever in the Paralympic Games in Paris.
“It’s completely crazy what he managed to accomplish in two years, he was extremely surprising. We calmly set ourselves realistic goals, but we quickly had to modify them and aim higher. We didn’t expect to win medals at the Parapan American Games,” admits Nathalie.
Seeing his progress, we realized that the Paralympic Games were really a possibility. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we believed in it and he is rewarded for his work today.
Nathalie Seguin
Nathalie will also be in Paris, not as a coach, but as a spectator. Her plane ticket to the French capital was bought a long time ago, she who dreamed of experiencing the Paralympic Games in a French-speaking environment.
Being able to witness Anthony’s prowess on the biggest stage of all will be the cherry on the sundae for her.
“Athletics Canada is bringing its own team of coaches to Paris. I’ll be a spectator, but I’ll definitely continue to help Anthony on site. I might be able to be present during the preparation. The important thing is that I’ll be in the stadium!”
“I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to experience the Paralympic Games in French! It will be the perfect opportunity to experience that this summer, and what’s more, Anthony will be there. Everything is truly perfect,” concludes Nathalie Séguin.