Olympic champion weightlifter Christine Girard named Canada's chef de mission for 2023 Pan Am Games
From near podium misses to upgraded medals, from disappointment to triumph, Canadian weightlifter Christine Girard has seen it all.
Now, she hopes to impart that experience upon the next generation of athletes.
The Canadian Olympic Committee announced Thursday that Girard would be chef de mission for Team Canada at the upcoming Pan Am Games, which run from Oct. 20 through Nov. 5 in Santiago, Chile.
"I like to compare my role as being kind of like the mama of the team," Girard told CBC Sports. "I want to prepare them, clean before them, make sure everything is organized and be there for them, cheer them on, be there when it goes well, be there when it's not as well."
Girard, the 38-year-old from Rouyn-Noranda, Que., competed at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. She initially finished a heartbreaking fourth at the former before winning Canada's first-ever weightlifting medal, bronze, at the latter Games.
In 2018, due to positive doping tests from athletes ahead of her, she was bumped to bronze for 2008 and gold for 2012.
Girard also competed in three Pan Am Games, improving from eighth to silver and finally gold.
She said her message to Canadian athletes competing in Chile will be to trust the process.
"It's not just a question of what we do, it's how we do it that makes us proud Canadians. I often say that when I received my medal, it was my whole country that won, right? It's the values of our country that made those medals possible," Girard said.
WATCH | Girard finally receives upgraded medals in 2018:
COC chief sport officer Eric Myles said Girard is the whole package for a chef de mission.
"She is an incredibly accomplished athlete. She is an inspirational role model and a strong advocate promoting clean play. With her ability to build relationships and connect with athletes, as well as her experience and her passion, Christine will be a great asset to Team Canada on the road to Santiago 2023," he said.
Unlike the Olympics, where everyone shares a golden goal, the Pan Am Games can carry different sets of objectives for different athletes — especially coming less than a year before the 2024 Paris Olympics.
For some, like weightlifters, the Pan Ams are an Olympic qualifier. Others are there to experience a Games environment, maybe for the first time, with the results secondary. Winning remains a priority, just not the only one.
"I feel like I've seen sport in so many different angles," Girard said. "I want to be the person that will get what they're going through and help them be as successful as possible and reach their own objectives."
Athletes come first
Girard, who retired from competition following the 2012 Olympics, has since worked with the International Testing Agency and Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport to help promote clean sport.
She said she's looking forward to returning to an athlete-facing role.
"I think it's more the values that my story brings and that I bring with me that will impact how I'll be a chef de mission. I think that's more where it will show," she said.
Meanwhile, Canadian athletes — especially over the past year — have discovered a stronger voice than ever in speaking out against abuse in amateur sport.
Girard hope to continue empowering her group at the Pan Am Games.
"What we like to see when we see sport is athlete stories and seeing how they managed to do this and how inspiring their stories are," she said. "So I think it's really important that we protect them and we surround the environment in a way that will make them the best they can."
The Pan Am Games are contested every four years between North and South American countries. Most sports are also part of the Olympic program, with exceptions such as bodybuilding, futsal and polo.
The most recent Pan Am Games took place in 2019 in Lima, Peru. Canada won the third-most medals (152), and the fourth-most gold medals (35). The U.S. led in both counts.
Live coverage of the 2023 Pan Am Games will be available across CBC and CBC Sports platforms.
