Opening day is fast approaching! In 38 days, to be exact. The Défi Sportif AlterGo, Canada’s largest multi-sport event, featuring thousands of athletes from all over the world with functional limitations of all types, returns this year for its 41st edition. From April 26 to May 5, 2024, nearly 6,000 athletes, from up-and-comers to elite-level contenders, will compete in nine different sports disciplines.
The competitions will be held in several locations throughout Greater Montréal, including the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex, Jarry Park, the Maurice-Richard and Howie-Morenz arenas, and the Cégep Édouard-Montpetit Sports Centre in Longueuil.
Much more than simply a competition, the Défi Sportif AlterGo also serves as a springboard to professional sports careers for many of its participants, potentially opening the doors to the Paralympic Games.
“We are proud to announce the program of the 41st Défi Sportif AlterGo. We are eager to welcome the thousands of athletes who will arrive in just over one month, to contribute to their personal journeys, and to see them shine in our many venues, regardless of their limitations, regardless of the level of competition,” said Yan Martin, director of the Défi Sportif AlterGo.
“It all starts here” for five talented athletic ambassadors
This year, spokespersons Chantal Petitclerc, Jean-Marie Lapointe, Hugo Girard, Nancy Audet, and Meeker Guerrier will be joined at the 41st annual Défi Sportif AlterGo by five athletic ambassadors who have made their marks on the world of sport.
Multiple international boccia medallist Iulian Ciobanu (Montréal), talented wheelchair basketball player Sofia Fassi Fehri (Montréal), para hockey player Nathan Galarneau-Desjardins (Saint-Jérôme), para swimmer Allison Gobeil (Alma), and school athlete Romy Hamel (Longueuil) are all set to inspire the crowds through their athletic performances and their determination.
“My favourite Défi Sportif AlterGo memory is from last year, when I won two Boccia World Cup gold medals for the first time in my career,” said Ciobanu, who won gold medals in the men’s individual BC4 event and the pairs event with his teammate Alison Levine. “It was an experience I’ll never forget.”
In Ciobanu’s early years, the Défi Sportif AlterGo was his first-ever international competition. “I like to think of it as my initiation into the world of sport. That was the competition in which I really got started, where I threw my fist ball. Each year, the Défi Sportif AlterGo is different and better than it was the year before,” he added.
To learn more about the athletic ambassadors of the 41st Défi Sportif AlterGo, visit https://defisportif.com/en/the-event/spokespersons/.
Competitions not to be missed!
The Défi Sportif’s international program will be particularly lively this year, with some exciting competitions on the schedule. On April 29, the 2024 Boccia World Cup will get underway at the Maurice-Richard Arena, with athletes from over 20 countries vying for a spot on the podium. The World Cup will be preceded by a school competition on April 26 and the Boccia Nationals from April 26 to 28, at the same venue.
Another must-attend event is the international powerchair soccer tournament, which will be held from May 3-5 at Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, featuring teams from Canada, the USA, and Mexico.
The school component’s mini-marathon also promises to be thrilling. It will take place on the opening day of the Défi Sportif AlterGo, at Jarry Park on April 26.
Several provincial- and national-level competitions will take place in sports such as junior para hockey (Howie-Morenz Arena) and wheelchair basketball (Cégep Édouard-Montpetit), while the para-swimming and swimming Special Olympics will be held at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex. On May 4, the Chantal Petitclerc Para-Athletics Classic and a softball tournament for athletes with hearing impairments will take place at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.
For additional schedule and program information, visit https://defisportif.com/en/competition.
The Loto-Québec Sports Trial Zone
Once again this year, we are thrilled to host the Loto-Québec Sports Trial Zone at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex. We warmly invite everyone to come try out a multitude of disciplines, including boccia, wheelchair basketball, adaptive boxing, para rowing, para hockey, adaptive baseball, and para-climbing. It’s the perfect opportunity to try something new and challenge yourself in a fun and friendly atmosphere.
