By Josh Bell
Camille Bérubé
Swimming
Age: 21
Local Club: GO Kingfish, uOttawa Gee-Gees
# Paralympics: Second
SCHEDULE
Wed. Sept. 14 SB8 women’s 100 m breaststroke heats, 7:30 a.m. ET
Wed. Sept. 14 SB8 women’s 100 m breaststroke final, 3:36 p.m. ET
Camille Bérubé received the ultimate last-minute deal to a warm southern climate when she was added to the Canadian Paralympic swim team Aug. 29.
The 21-year-old swimmer’s new travel plans now include her second Paralympic Games in Rio.
“I learned a week ago that I was officially going and now I am in Rio,” Bérubé says by e-mail. “Everything is happening pretty quickly but I feel good about it and I know I’ll be able to use the excitement of the Games to give me that extra push!”
The Greater-Ottawa Kingfish athlete initially thought Rio was out of the question when she failed to earn a nomination following the springtime Canadian team trials.
“It was hard at first in April when I learned I was not going and I was definitely still struggling emotionally when I was told I might have a second chance,” recounts Bérubé, who will compete in the SB8 women’s 100 m breaststroke for athletes with limb restrictions.
Bérubé’s renewed opportunity presented itself when the International Paralympic Committee banned the entire Russian team from the Games due to the country’s systemic doping violations.
“There are many things we can’t control when you compete at a high level – the suspension of Russian athletes is one of them,” says the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees varsity swim team member. “I can’t say that it should be a celebration even though it did help bring other deserving athletes to the Games.
“It’s saddening to see that cheating is happening everywhere but I do believe that the suspension of Russian athletes increases the credibility of the Paralympic movement; cheating will not be tolerated whatsoever.
“In a world where visibility about the Paralympics is lacking compared to the Olympics, I think it is really good to show that we are just as competitive and that we strive to promote a clean competition environment as well.”
While Bérubé says her pre-Games preparation wasn’t ideal, she views the second chance as an opportunity.
“Honestly, I think maybe I would’ve prepared differently since I missed out on a few training camps,” signals the Gatineau-raised Ottawa resident. “But I like to think that mentally I have an advantage because I didn’t have time to overthink anything.”
Bérubé, who has little function of either of her legs due to cancer at birth, says handling her emotions is the biggest challenge she’s had to overcome in her career.
“I’m very rarely unmotivated about swimming. I love the process, I love training hard and I love the people I get to share this experience with,” she indicates. “But I am an extremely emotional person, which can be a bad thing even if they are positive emotions. It’s something I’m still working on.”
At London 2012, Bérubé recorded a trio of 11th-place results in the 100 m backstorke, the 400 m freestyle and the 200 m individual medley. More recently, she collected a trio of medals at the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games (silver in the 100 m back, and two bronze in the 200 m IM and 100 m breast).
“It means a lot to me to have the opportunity to represent Canada on the international stage once again,” underlines Bérubé, who raced at her first World Championships for Canada in Rio at age 14.
“It’s pretty exciting to be back! The London Games were a bit of a surprise for me when I learned that I qualified.
“It was a huge learning experience and now I’m proud I can race in Rio as a veteran. I’ve been around for a long time and I know a lot more what to expect. I’m happy to have a certain leadership role going into the Games.”
Advice for young athletes aspiring to reach the Games:
“It’s is not the final destination that matters but the road you take to get there! I like to think that the process is the result. If you have that mindset, you’ll enjoy doing what you do and have fun with it. That’s the most important thing of all.”
