SPORTS. The curtain is about to rise on Canada’s largest annual multisport event. From April 21st to 30th, the Défi sportif AlterGo allows thousands of athletes with all functional limitations to push their limits.

On this occasion, more than 7,000 young and top athletes from 20 countries will compete against each other in nine disciplines. The challenge also includes a school component, with participation expected from 110 elementary and secondary schools across Quebec. The competitions take place in Montreal.

“After three editions in virtual and hybrid mode, the Défi Sportif AlterGo is back in force for its 40th edition. The size of the event also underscores the uniqueness of what awaits us,” said Maxime Gagnon, President and General Manager of the AlterGo organization.

The Défi sportif can count on the support of speakers who have been committed to the cause for several years. Such is the case of Senator and former Paralympic athlete Chantal Petitclerc and host Jean-Marie Lapointe. Hugo Girard, Nancy Audet and Meeker Guerrier are also proud speakers this year.

Five ambassador athletes will also be there, and each of them has a rich history with the challenge. They are bocce ball player Marylou Martineau, wheelchair basketball player Theodore Gallant, para hockey player Saoud Messaoudi, school athlete Emy Poirier and recently retired para cyclist Marie-Claude Molnar.

“My first participation in the Défi sportif dates back to 2016 and I am very proud to be back as an Athlete Ambassador,” commented Saoud Messaoudi. I firmly believe this is an opportunity with tremendous impact. With so many athletes and volunteers helping, we can see that we are on the right track to promote social inclusion and physical activity among young people.”

Unmissable competitions

The event will notably host the Boccia World Cup. In the middle of the selection process for the Paralympic Games in Paris, the best players in this discipline are expected in the Maurice Richard Arena. The next generation and the elite collide in this competitive arena.

There’s no shortage of para-hockey action at the Howie-Morenz Arena, where Canada and the United States will face off in a three-game series. Junior para hockey teams are also expected.

The school component begins on April 21 with the presentation of a mini-marathon, presented for the first time at Jarry Park.

Wheelchair basketball, para-swimming, power-chair soccer, para-track and field, swimming, gymnastics, soccer and softball must also be supervised at the provincial and federal levels.

As part of this anniversary edition, a special exhibition will be installed at the Claude Robillard sports complex and at the satellite sites, which will tell the highlights of the event. This will be an opportunity to explore the history of the Défi sportif AlterGo from its humble beginnings to the present day.

“We have a visionary to thank for the fact that we made it today, Monique Lefebvre, who founded this event in 1984,” Maxime Gagnon recalls in conclusion.