Tom Normandeau training for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics (Photo Credit: Tom Normandeau)

By Shane Clausing

Paralympics

Peace River’s Tom Normandeau gearing up for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics

Aug 20, 2021 | 6:28 AM

Peace River born Tom Normandeau is gearing up to participate in the biggest event of his athletic career.

On September 3, Normandeau will represent Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in the T47 400 metre sprint. Athletes participating in the T47 category usually have had below elbow or wrist amputation.

Normandeau is originally from Peace River and lived in that area until he was 10, where his family lived on a 1,000-acre ranch just outside of St Isidore. He and his family then moved south to Oregon, where Normandeau went to junior high and high school.

It was when he was 17-year-old during high school where he began running track and field.

Normandeau tells EverythingGP his journey to the Paralympics was anything but normal, especially since he got into racing track and field at an older age.

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

“I didn’t really start running athletics until I was 17 years old,” he said.

While he didn’t begin running until he was 17, Normandeau was able to get a track and field scholarship out of high school.

“I got a scholarship to run (in Oregon) and with my last year of university, I discovered that the Paralympics had a classification (T47) for my disability. Up until then I had no clue and was always competing against able-bodied athletes.”

After he found there was a classification for him, Normandeau ended up contacting Athletics Canada and began running for them.

Because of his commitment to Athletics Canada, Normandeau ended up moving to Victoria, British Columbia to continue to pursue his track and field career.

Since joining Athletics Canada, Normandeau has represented Canada multiple times.

His biggest accomplishment before qualifying for the Paralympics was making the Canadian track team for the 2019 Parapan am Games in Lima, Peru. At that competition, he finished 6^th in the T47 400 metre.

He made the Canadian track team after a successful 2021 season, which saw him compete 10 times. His best run this season was 49.86 in the T47 APU Last Chance Twilight tournament in Azusa, California.

“My biggest performances all came from heading down to southern California in April and May. I threw down some really big performances with the hot weather down there and that’s what ended up bumping me up the Canadian ranking list,” explained Normandeau.

“It put me into just making the team and I’m very fortunate for that. It’s been a long time coming and lots of hard work went into it. Now I’ve got to show up and really try to outdo my ranking and see where I’m actually at,” he said.

“Making the team is one thing and performing here is another.”

Athletics Canada was forced to bring a smaller team than usual to Tokyo this year because of the pandemic. Normandeau says he’s honoured that he was selected.

“Knowing that the team was smaller with COVID, this has definitely been hardest team to ever make,” Normandeau said.

“Making this team was absolutely the pinnacle of my career, so now it’s just waiting and seeing what I can do here.”

With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics getting underway on August 24, Normandeau is currently with the rest of Canada’s track team in Gifu, Japan for training camp. During the camp, Normandeau and the rest of the Canadian team are practicing in a strict bubble.

So far, he says they’ve been treated.

“It’s about a five-hour bus ride out of Tokyo. It’s a beautiful little city for all that we’ve been able to see from the hotel,” he explained.

“We actually aren’t allowed to leave the hotel, the whole process is very locked down, but I mean, it’s awesome. The Japanese individuals who are helping us run this entire training camp are doing such a fantastic job, it’s running so smooth. We do feel like we’re at home and we’ve only been here for a couple of days.”

Normandeau and a collection of Canadian track athletes arrived in Gifu on August 15. He says since they’ve arrived, they’ve been kept to a pretty strict schedule.

“Every single morning, between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., you have to go downstairs and take a spit COVID test, get your temperature tested and (fill out) the Japanese COVID tracking app.”

“Around 8:00 a.m. our shuttle starts going between the track and our hotel. We aren’t allowed to walk to the track, we have to take a shuttle and it’s a two-minute bus ride. We pretty much have from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The stadium we get to train at in Gifu is beautiful.”

According to Normandeau, they cannot check into the Tokyo Olympic Village until August 28. Each athlete must also leave Japan within 48 hours of their event finishing due to strict COVID-19 protocols.

Normandeau’s events take place on September 3 and on September 4 if he makes the final heats. Because his events are on the last days of the Olympics, he said he should be able to walk into the Olympic Stadium and represent Canada at the closing ceremony.

Because of his time spent in the United States, Normandeau does carry a dual U.S. Canada citizenship.

While a majority of his developmental years were spent in the United States, he mentioned he loves being Canadian and wanted to represent his home country on the international stage.

“I really could’ve went either way with that. I’ve always liked Canada, I’ve always been a really proud Canadian. The whole time I’ve lived down in the states as I was becoming very ‘Americanized’ but I was always that crazy Canadian kid,” he said. “I just felt like it was my favour to give back. Every time I throw that maple leaf on, I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”

“I wouldn’t get that if I threw on the U.S.A. kit.”

You can track Normandeau’s progress at the Paralympics at the CBC Olympic website.