Nicolas Guy Turbide

Started: He began swimming at age six, and took up the sport competitively at age 11. (paralympic.ca, 2012; forcesavenir.qc.ca, 2012) Reason: He first pursued competitive swimming through his school, having previously played golf with his father. "When I was around five years old, I really wanted to be involved with golf like my parents. But I started swimming pretty much as a safety measure, and I completely hated it. I think that with my impairment where I couldn't see the bottom of the pool, the lake or the ocean, I was really afraid of what I couldn't see at the time. Around nine or 10, I got reintroduced to the sport. As a complement for golf, I started competitive swimming. My desire to win and touch the wall before everyone else was stronger than my fear of water. So slowly but surely that barrier disappeared and today I think that was the best decision I ever made." (paralympic.ca, 18 Aug 2021; tokyo2020.org, 22 Jul 2020; Facebook page, 08 Apr 2019) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (lesoleil.com, 07 Feb 2024) Awards: He was named Male Para Swimmer of the Year by Swimming Canada in 2016 and 2018. He was also co-winner of the award in 2019. (swimming.ca, 15 Dec 2019, 30 Sep 2016; swimmingworldmagazine.com, 20 Dec 2018) Additional Info: GIVING UP BACKSTROKE Despite winning gold in the S13 100m backstroke at the 2022 World Championships in Madeira, Portugal, he made the decision to stop competing in backstroke due to injury problems with his back. He had previously won Paralympic medals in the S13 100m backstroke at the 2016 and 2020 editions of the Games. "I had no choice but to change my discipline because the symptoms affecting me were severe. To my surprise, I managed to win gold at the worlds, but I knew it would be over for backstroke after that. I wasn't even able to walk after that victory. I use my mental strength to overcome the physical problems I experience. The adrenaline of a race also helps reduce pain. I have always perceived that my greatest strength is my mental resilience and this is how I approach my races." (SportsDeskOnline, 07 Feb 2024; lesoleil.com, 31 Mar 2023)

Sporting Relatives: His father Danny is a professional golfer. (paralympic.ca, 01 Sep 2016; paralympic.ca, 18 Aug 2021)