{"id":728,"date":"2024-09-06T11:33:11","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T18:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/?p=728"},"modified":"2024-09-06T11:33:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T18:33:13","slug":"carving-a-new-path-judo-athlete-priscilla-gagne-gda-tlc-pup-zophia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/?p=728","title":{"rendered":"CARVING A NEW PATH: Judo Athlete Priscilla Gagn\u00e9 & GDA | TLC Pup Zophia"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

As a visually impaired Judo athlete, Priscilla Gagn\u00e9 never relied on a guide dog, though she was the proud owner of a German Shepherd Lab, Sergeant Tango. When Tango neared the end of his life in early 2023, Priscilla decided it was time to get a formally trained service dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaking the jump from white cane to guide dog was a no-brainer,\u201d Priscilla explains. Montreal\u2019s three-year waiting list for service dogs led her to consider international options. Based in Southern California, Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines became her choice. \u201cI knew it would take three weeks to train,\u201d says Priscilla. \u201cIf I\u2019m going to spend three weeks somewhere, I knew I wanted it to be California.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The application process validated Priscilla\u2019s decision. \u201cWithin a week or two of contacting GDA | TLC, I got confirmation I was approved and accepted. Not even a week later, I got a call telling me they had a match,\u201d she says. \u201cThey wanted me to come just two days after a competition in Egypt. The timing was divine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Priscilla Gagn\u00e9 speaking at the 2024 Ontario Provincial Council of Machinists (OPCM) annual convention<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

LEARNING TO TRUST ZOPHIA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In March 2023, Priscilla flew to Los Angeles and met her match, Zophia. She had to learn how to use the harness and give commands before meeting her new companion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we finally got our dogs, they wanted us to be with them and feel the harness,\u201d recalls Priscilla. \u201cI walk really fast and so does Zophia. They matched us so well. I had one hand on her harness and the other up in front of my body \u2014\u2014 we call it a bumper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur trainer, Sean, kept telling me to trust my dog, but even when I put my hand down, it was flexed. I was so tense.\u201d The first hurdle was learning to trust Zophia. Priscilla adapted quickly in Los Angeles but faced new challenges back home in Montreal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Montreal, it took two weeks for both of us to be comfortable with each other,\u201d says Priscilla. \u201cDogs don\u2019t always recognize flat curbs as curbs.\u201d The trainers\u2019 reminder that the training would continue at home proved true. The solution? Treats!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zophia lived up to her training, proving to be an intelligent, trainable, and affectionate companion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery day, she amazes me,\u201d says Priscilla. \u201cShe never ceases to surprise me with her intellect. Before I go to bed, I give her a hug and kiss and thank her for helping me. She sleeps in my bed every night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GDA | TLC set up Priscilla and Zophia for success, providing a foundation of trust and excellence. \u201cThe staff, the trainers, and everyone involved did an amazing job to help us feel completely welcomed and safe,\u201d says Priscilla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey did a great job teaching us how to work with our dogs.\u201d GDA | TLC also exceeded Priscilla\u2019s expectations with their tact during training and careful follow-up post-training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have so much respect,\u201d says Priscilla. \u201cThey also do close follow-up once you go home so that they know their dog is in good hands. Their dogs have been treated well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A PERFECT PARTNER FOR JUDO PRACTICE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Priscilla, a former high school wrestler and goalball player on the National Team, is a skilled athlete. When she discovered Judo, she found a grappling sport included in the Paralympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen playing goalball, I missed the combativeness of wrestling. The closest thing to wrestling in the Paralympics was Judo,\u201d explains Priscilla. \u201cPlus, in wrestling you can\u2019t do real submissions \u2014\u2014 chokes and armlocks \u2014\u2014 but in Judo you can. That was appealing to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Priscilla joined the Canadian National Team in 2014 and competed in the 2015 Rio Paralympics. She has traveled to Turkey, Germany, Uzbekistan, Great Britain, Egypt, and more, competing in this sport requiring a unique blend of timing, strength, and deep concentration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Competing as a Paralympic Judo athlete in Canada can be challenging. Montreal\u2019s small, integrated training system means para-Judo athletes train with able-bodied National Team athletes. Historically, Priscilla had to leave Tango at home, which was difficult, and finding a partner was challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInitially, it was so discouraging. People don\u2019t always want to practice with someone who is visually impaired,\u201d explains Priscilla. \u201cWe don\u2019t see the fluidness of their movements, and the rules are different. We always start with a grip, we always have to have two hands on, and you can\u2019t block a hand. In regular Judo, none of that stuff goes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, going to practice with Zophia has changed everything. Navigating busy Montreal, with its heavy vehicle and foot traffic, bicycle lanes, and metro, is taxing. But walking with Zophia eases that burden and makes it more motivating to go to training. \u201cShe knows where we\u2019re going,\u201d says Priscilla. \u201cI can ask her to find a door or the stairs in the metro, and she finds it. I don\u2019t need to ask for help anymore. She breezes through obstacles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIt takes a lot of energy to navigate this city.<\/strong>
Zophia makes navigation one less thing I need to think about.\u201d
\u2014Priscill<\/strong>a Gagn\u00e9<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Not only does Zophia help Priscilla journey the hazard-heavy route to practice without a cane, but her presence also lightens the environment. \u201cShe hangs out in the physio room,\u201d says Priscilla. \u201cPeople come in with minor injuries or disappointments, but they immediately light up when they see Zophia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zophia also serves as a great conversation starter. \u201cPeople ask me how she helps me,\u201d says Priscilla. \u201cIt brings a lot of awareness, even to the younger generation.\u201d Bringing Zophia to practice has made the whole process smoother and more enjoyable. \u201cIt\u2019s so much easier,\u201d says Priscilla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Priscilla will compete in Paris in the fall of 2024 and will retire from Judo as a National Team athlete. \u201cI\u2019ve thoroughly enjoyed this journey, and I have no regrets. Having said that, I am definitely ready for the next step in my life,\u201d explains Priscilla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever that next step may be, Zophia will be at her side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article from Guide Dogs of America<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Priscilla Gagn\u00e9 Social Media accounts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Twitter\/X<\/strong>
@priscillagagne
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/priscillagagne\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facebook:<\/strong>
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Gagne86\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instagram:<\/strong>
@priscillagagne
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/priscillagagne\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

YouTube<\/strong> video (Please turn on French captions):
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WsKzOb_ZkkI<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dates for the Paralympics:<\/strong>
Wed, Aug 28, 2024 \u2013 Sun, Sep 8, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paralympics website:<\/strong>
https:\/\/www.paralympic.org\/paris-2024<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wikipedia English:<\/strong>
https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Priscilla_Gagn%C3%A9<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article on Priscilla on the Canadian Paralympic site:
English<\/strong>
https:\/\/paralympic.ca\/news\/priscilla-gagne-nominated-to-represent-canada-in-para-judo-at-paris-2024-paralympic-games\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Posted in Machinists’ News<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\/O \u00a0frank<\/a>\u00a0\u00a022 August, 2024<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a visually impaired Judo athlete, Priscilla Gagn\u00e9 never relied on a guide dog, though she was the proud owner of a German Shepherd Lab, Sergeant Tango. When Tango neared the end of his life in early 2023, Priscilla decided it was time to get a formally trained service dog. \u201cMaking the jump from white […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=728"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":731,"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728\/revisions\/731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iamdistrict250.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}