A Former Olympian Among the Instructors at Centre multisports André-Chagnon

She represented her country at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Today, Patricia Noall shares her experience as a high-performance athlete with members of Centre multisports André-Chagnon. For nearly a decade, the former Olympic swimmer has been putting her passion, discipline and expertise to work toward a new mission: helping everyone discover what they are truly capable of.

An Olympian at Centre multisports

When you attend one of Patricia Noall’s classes at Centre multisports André-Chagnon, you’re training with an instructor whose background is truly exceptional.

At just 18 years old, Patricia competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, following ten years dedicated to competitive swimming.

Her achievement is all the more remarkable considering that nothing in her family background pointed toward a career in sports. Her parents weren’t athletic and didn’t even know how to swim.

Yet Patricia began swimming at age 8. By 12, she had joined the junior national team, followed by the senior national team at 16. Two years later, she reached the highest level of international competition.

For years, training, competitions and the pursuit of excellence shaped her daily life.

Today, she puts that experience to use in a very different environment: the group fitness classes at Centre multisports.

From Olympic Competition to Teaching

Behind the passionate instructor is also a story of personal reinvention.

When Patricia left the national team in 2000, she went through a difficult transition. After dedicating much of her life to swimming, she had to learn how to define herself beyond her identity as an athlete.

“When you're a full-time athlete, it's your whole life.”

She gradually stepped away from competitive sports and devoted herself to her family.

It wasn’t until she approached her forties that she felt the desire to reconnect with physical activity.

“It wasn't physically difficult. I just had to find what worked for me.”

She started running and later discovered kickboxing. In this new discipline, she rediscovered everything she had loved about swimming: cardiovascular endurance, strength and full-body engagement.

But this time, her relationship with sports was different.

It was no longer about winning medals or breaking records. Instead, the goal was to enjoy movement, feel good and continue challenging herself.

This renewed perspective on physical activity would eventually become one of the foundations of her approach as an instructor.

Elite-Level Expertise, Accessible to Everyone

For nearly a decade, Patricia has been teaching at Centre multisports André-Chagnon.

Her Olympic background naturally influences the way she approaches training. She understands the importance of technique, discipline, progression and perseverance.

But she also knows that effective training must be adapted to the person doing it.

Whether someone is just getting started or looking to push their limits, Patricia adjusts her exercises to suit each participant’s abilities and needs.

She knows the people in her classes, the challenges they face and the progress they make.

“I want my participants to believe in themselves and know that they can do more than they think.”

Perhaps that is the greatest strength of her teaching: transforming experience gained at the highest level of sport into coaching that is accessible, supportive and motivating.

After all, you don't need to dream of competing in the Olympics to benefit from an Olympian's expertise.

Achievements Worth More Than Medals

After years of measuring performance in seconds and competition results, Patricia now finds satisfaction in a very different kind of victory.

She sees people in their eighties performing planks and jumping jacks. She works with members who begin by attending one class a week and gradually discover that they enjoy coming back three times.

“They're not athletes. They just never stopped moving. And it makes them happy.”

For Patricia, every step forward matters.

Someone gaining confidence, discovering their strength or successfully completing an exercise they once thought was beyond their abilities is an achievement in itself.

And those achievements go far beyond physical fitness.

Every week, Patricia and one participant browse Instagram together, looking for new challenges to try.

Another participant, who went away on vacation for three weeks, admitted that she was so eager to return to Patricia’s classes that she almost wished she had stayed home to keep training.

These stories reflect the special relationships Patricia has built with members and the genuine joy she finds in teaching.

A Passion Passed Down Through Generations

For Patricia, sports have always played an important role in family life.

She encouraged her children to participate in physical activities from a young age, while giving them the freedom to decide whether they wanted to continue as they grew older.

Her eldest son competed in wrestling at the Canada Games, while her youngest played football.

Centre multisports is also part of this family story. One of her sons worked there for six years, beginning shortly after the facility opened. Some members still remember him today.

Now, Patricia continues to pass on her passion for sports in her own way.

Not only to her family, but also to every person who attends her classes.

After 40, the Best Is Still Ahead

Patricia’s journey also carries an inspiring message for women who want to start or return to physical activity after 40.

She herself rediscovered the joy of training at that stage of her life, years after leaving competitive sports.

Her experience shows that it is possible to build a new relationship with exercise without trying to match past performances.

What matters most is finding an activity you enjoy, respecting your own pace and being willing to try.

Patricia continues to challenge herself, too. She trains independently three times a week and is currently working toward a new goal: building muscle mass.

Her competitive spirit has never completely disappeared. It simply expresses itself differently now.

And her philosophy sums up her approach perfectly:

“If you don't try, how can you complain?”