Canadian wonder woman Chantal Petitclerc on being famous

The 2008 Paralympics may have finished three months ago but for Canada’s golden girl, Chantal Petitclerc, her life has changed markedly since winning five gold medals in Beijing. We here at spikesmag.com were afforded the privilege of a fascinating insight into the crazy life of a nation’s biggest sporting superstar.

You have just won the Lou Marsh Trophy, the most prestigious prize in Canadian sport. What did that mean to you?
CP: For me winning the medal is what it is all about, it’s pure performance and nothing compares to that. But what makes the Lou Marsh so special is it is awarded by a panel of Canadian sports journalists and it is the one award that is males and females together, amateur and professional people, so it is very unique. My dad was really excited about it because Wayne Gretzky won it four times, so now I’m up there with him.

Since winning five gold medals in Beijing has it been the busiest time of your life?
CP: It was big after Athens and I thought after Beijing 'I’m ready' because I’d been through Athens and winning five gold medals. You cocoon yourself so much when you are at the Games. I don’t read my emails or newspapers and I really limited the amount of time we gave to the media [before and during the Games] so when you land at Montreal and the airport is crowded with people, it is a little overwhelming. My whole family was there with friends and the whole media. I thought, okay, it would be busy for a month but now it has been three months and it hasn’t really calmed down all that much.

Have you had much time to fit in any training?
CP: I’m telling you the training is not going so well. I was in Florida training on the road and it was so awkward. It was the worst shape I’ve ever been in my life, which was really sad because you come in [to the Beijing Games] in the best shape you’ve ever been in your life and it’s all gone.

Have you gained much weight since Beijing?
CP: I would say I’ve gained one or two kilos and that is a bit depressing [she says laughing].

Have you enjoyed all the post-Beijing attention?
CP: Part of me is trying to tell myself that I have to enjoy the moment and I do enjoy it, but at the same time all of me is an athlete and that is how I define myself. That part of me has gone. I can’t go in a Montreal restaurant now without someone buying me a drink. At one point the gold medal is what I did and you can’t just live on what you did. You need to look forward to the next thing you want to do and your next challenges.

You will have received a lot of requests from the Canadian public. What is the weirdest thing a fan has said?
CP: [Laughing] I keep a folder with the weird and the funny ones. This grandfather ends his message on my website by saying I gave him so much and that he really would like to give me something back and he’d be really happy to give me a ride on his Harley Davidson! He was really sincere and really cute but I thought, this is a good one.

Can you begin to describe what a typical day has been like since Beijing?
CP: It has been interesting, a lot of media interviews and a lot of awards. One of the great things with Montreal is the media really support their athletes and you don’t see that very often, especially for Paralympic athletes. It has been one party after the other – a lot of those social reconnection events and then all the awards. Every day is about adjusting. Going to the market on a Friday afternoon is not too much of an option for me anymore. It is better to do it on a Monday... very early morning [laughs].

Has all the attention you’ve received been difficult to cope with?
CP: I wouldn’t say it is difficult. Well, sometimes it is and sometimes you don’t feel like interacting so much with people. Through the first few weeks you think it is going to calm down but it is not starting to calm down that much. Some of it is challenging I guess, but at the same time Canada is so nice. It’s not like people are chasing you around with cameras. It is never like that in Montreal.

It is more [a case of] people being very happy for me and wanting to shake my hand and saying how much fun they had watching the Paralympics, so it is really positive, but it does change your life a little bit.

When do you think all the attention will calm down?
CP: I don’t know? That is the big question, although I do hope it will calm down just a little bit.