Natalia: Determined to Succeed, On and Off the Court

Originally from Poland, Natalia immigrated to Québec with her family at the age of 13, settling in Pincourt. A cancer survivor, she spent years battling the disease, enduring multiple surgeries, and losing both access to her education at age 7 and full mobility.

Driven by Determination

It was when she arrived in Québec at 13 that Natalia’s new life truly began. She had to learn a new language, adapt to an entirely new environment—and resume her schooling.

Today, Natalia is a psychology undergraduate at the Université de Montréal and a three-time medalist at the Canadian Wheelchair Tennis Championships.

From Challenge to Passion

A member of Parasports Québec and Club EB Tennis, Natalia only discovered wheelchair tennis three years ago.
Unlike many players in the sport, she does not use a wheelchair in daily life. However, because she is unable to run or jump, she had to learn to move in a sports wheelchair to play tennis.

Since then, she has competed in four national championships—and brought home three medals.

At the Birmingham Canadian Championships, held in Montréal last November, Natalia won gold in doubles with her partner Maude Jacques and silver in singles, marking her best career performance to date.

Training for Excellence

Natalia continues to train with the EB Tennis Adaptive Program at Centre Multisports, alongside her private coach Étienne Bergeron, Director and Head Coach of EB Tennis, and with the Montréal Regional Wheelchair Tennis Association (ATFRRM).

What Can We Wish Natalia in 2020?

Her university degree—and continued success at the Canadian Wheelchair Tennis Championships, returning to Montréal for a second year in a row.

If Natalia could offer one piece of advice in return, it would be this:

Never give up.
She’s determined to keep chasing her dreams—even the wildest ones.