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My name is Sandrine Hamel and I am a 26 year-old para-snowboarder from St. Sauveur, Quebec. I was born with scoliosis and suffered a spinal cord injury during surgery, which ultimately left me with loss of motor function in my right leg. Nevertheless, as a determined child, this never stopped me from wanting to learn how to snowboard. I began snowboarding when I was 8 years-old at my local ski hill. I’ve since been able to reach the podium at multiple World Cup events and World Championships, with the support from all of my coaches and team.
I’ve also began training with the National Para-Snowboard Team in 2016 and competed in two Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang (2018) and Beijing (2022). That being said, as an athlete, I spend a lot of time and money to travel around the world and train to be the best as I can be. As a para-snowboarder, I am training to race in two different disciplines (snowboardcross and banked slalom) which has a huge financial impact. With costs of travel, equipment and medical appointments, it has been a challenge for me to stay competitive. This season, I’m training across the country to recover from a surgery and get back in the gate as soon as possible.
Thank you for your help.