Montréal, April 21, 2023 – The 40th Défi sportif AlterGo has officially begun! And what better way to launch the event than with one of our flagship competitions: the mini-marathon!
Jarry Park besieged by schools from across Quebec
More than 1,000 students, including our athletic ambassador Emy Poirier, braved the cold at Jarry Park today for the launch of the 40th Défi sportif AlterGo.
The runners gave their all in the 500m, 1000m and 3000m events.
“It was amazing!” said Poirier, who at 13 years old is participating in her eighth Défi sportif AlterGo. “I’m a bit tired from the marathon, but I have to admit, I sprinted at the end!” explained the student from Jacques-Ouellette School in Longueuil.
Cheered on and encouraged by the crowd, many competitors crossed the finish line with a sense of accomplishment.
“It’s really great! It’s a very good event. I think it motivates people to do sports,” said a young student from Odyssée des Jeunes School in Laval.
Joining in on the fun were Paralympic para-athletics multi-medallist Dean Bergeron, as well as Enrico Ciccone and Andrés Fontecilla, MNAs for Marquette and Laurier-Dorion, respectively.
For Bergeron, attending the Défi sportif AlterGo today was a homecoming of sorts, as he was a regular at the event during his athletic career. “The Défi sportif AlterGo is a launch pad for dreams. Here, today, there are a whole bunch of young people feeling proud to be involved in sports. This needs to be experienced by as many people as possible,” he declared.
Related story : Forty Years of Togetherness, Through the Eyes of Dean Bergeron
National and school-level boccia players set the stage for a busy week at Maurice-Richard Arena
A second athletic ambassador of the 40th Défi sportif AlterGo was also back in action on Friday. Marylou Martineau kicked off her individual competition at the National Boccia Open, which is being held at the Maurice-Richard Arena.
With more than fifty athletes from Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia in attendance, she won her game 7-1!
Coming up tomorrow
The national boccia competition will continue on day two on the Défi sportif AlterGo. And at the Howie-Morenz Arena, four junior teams from Quebec and Ontario will face off in a para hockey tournament that will set the stage for the Canada–USA series later this week.
