Colette Bourgonje

Colette Bourgonje at the 64th Annual Order of Sport Awards in 2019. Colette Bourgonje (ber-gon-yah; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian Paralympic cross-country skier and athlete of Métis heritage. She has won four bronze medals in the Summer Paralympics and medals in the Winter Paralympics for skiing. Bourgonje's silver medal in the 10 km sit-ski at the 2010 Winter Paralympics was Canada's first at home.

She is a part-time physical education substitute teacher, and currently resides in Prince Albert. To honour Colette, an elementary school and a street have been named after her in Saskatoon. In 1997, a sign was placed Porcupine Plain, promoting it as Bourgonje's and distinguishing her as a successful Paralympian. She was awarded the Order of Sport, marking her induction into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, and a 2021 inductee in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life Bourgonje is a Dutch surname, but her Indigenous background on her mother's side leads back to a leader named Gabriel Dumont, who set up a Métis government at Batoche in the Northwest Territories.

Her father was an electrician and had a business, but was not able to keep it due to his alcoholism. Bourgonje's mother, Sheila, and grandmother comforted the children through difficult times. Bourgonje's father later left the family in 1984 while Colette was studying for her undergraduate degree.

Her brother needed to be dropped off in Hudson Bay, so Colette and her boyfriend at the time took him in her brother's new car. On the way back, she let her boyfriend drive, and he lost control on the slippery road, and Colette was ejected from the car. To get Colette to the hospital in Saskatoon in time, 40-50 vehicles in Porcupine Plain shone their headlights on the plane strip landing so the air ambulance could land. 98% of her spine was severed and two Harrington rods were placed in her back to maintain the curvature of her back.

She spent the summer of 1980 rehabilitating and wrote an advert in the local paper, thanking her community for their continuous support.

Bourgonje is one of few Canadians to receive medals in both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.

She gave one of her silver medals from the 1998 Games to Pat Prokopchuk, as she brought and initiated the remodelling of the sit ski in Saskatchewan.

Bourgonje was also a part of the Team Visa Inc. Program in 2010, which supports 30 individual athletes globally to prepare for the Olympics and Paralympics. They do this by providing valuable marketing, long term financial support and mentorship.

Sit Skiing SASKI-Skiing for Disabled began in the early 1990s, with skiing for the blind and were looking for other disabled persons to become physically active.

Her friend and president of SASKI, Pat Prokopchuk and others created Colette's first sit ski in 1993. It was remodelled from one from Denmark, which was weak and broke after short use. The Saskatchewan Abilities Council was able to mould the sit ski to Colette's body, while making the model out of fibreglass and clamping the skis to the chair. With her physical disability, she finds ways to overcome teaching obstacles, by using student demonstrators and having the children safely set up simple equipment. Her main focus is in physical activity, and would devote an allotted time daily for activities, even teaching them to cross country ski.

The "Inaugural Saskatchewan Para Sport Tour Dream Relay" was thought of when Bourgonje saw a need for raising awareness for Para Sport activities for Saskatchewan citizens. The relay was held in June 2016, touring Saskatchewan and it included 14 Parathletes in a 10 day, 363 kilometre course. Another reason for the establishment for the relay was to find those with disabilities looking to be physically active, and to connect them with volunteer equipment if that was a barrier for them.

Bourgonje spoke at the 11th annual "Training for Life Power Breakfast" in 2016, which is an event that raises money for the Special Olympics of Saskatchewan and Prince Albert Raiders Education Fund.

She often speaks encouraging messages at hospitals and rehabilitation centres for people recently immobilized. Her talks inspires others to face their new reality and to move forward. Bourgonje trained her to ski and she went on to win three gold medals at the 2015 Jeux du Canada Hames in Prince George, British Columbia. Her gold medal events were the 1.2 kilometre standing classic sprint, 2.5 kilometre classic sprint and the 5 kilometre standing free event.

Awards and honours In 1996, received the Breakthrough Award presented by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS).

In 1998, inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1999, received one of the YWCA Women of Distinction awards

In 2002, the Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) awarded her the Female Athlete of Year award.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, she was presented with the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award, which is awarded to one male and female athlete with a disability, for overcoming adversities.

In 2010, Bourgonje was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame.

The 2011 SaskSport Athlete of the Year.

In 2019, she was awarded the Order of Sport, marking her induction into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2021, Bourgonje became an inductee in Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.