sWIMming TOwards YOUR DREAMS
BIOGRAPHY
I was born in Cap-Rouge, a suburb of Quebec City.
Since I was very young, swimming has been a natural discipline for me. Swimming lessons were the key moment of the week. My mother took me there and it gave rise to privileged moments.
In high school, I was more than ever passionate about this sport which gave me a lot of happiness. It must be said that I was also good for athletics and my physical education teacher had noticed. Although he tried to convince me to choose athletics rather than swimming, my heart was at the pool … So I started intensive training at the Sport-Études school and I climbed the ladder quickly. Having observed me doing “on-time” at the gym and at the pool, my coach at the time, an insightful woman, found at home a real potential for long distance swimming. A few words from him were enough to register for a 10, a 25 and a 42 km swim. It was the beginning of my career …
THE SWIMMER HEIDI LEVASSEUR
BIOGRAPHY
At the age of 15, just two years after I entered the Sport-Étude school, I dive into a first feat: The crossing to Lake Memphremagog, 42 km, becoming the youngest person to brave this lake .
The following year, in 1996, I try to realize one of the most difficult swimming tests recognized in the world, the Lac St-Jean International Crossing, 40 km. It was a success; I finished in 4 position at the ladies, realizing once again a first, being the youngest to achieve the feat. It was during that summer, that I carved out a place on the Canadian team in World Cup over 25 km, standing in Lauzanne in Switzerland. As a team, we win the Bronze medal on a cumulative time.
In 1999, a series of unfortunate events forced me to give up swimming for a while. Passionate about science and the mysteries of the human being, my taste for learning and knowing transports me to the world of holistic sciences, biochemistry and psychology. Studies that will captivate me for almost a decade.
But this truce could not last. I missed swimming a lot.
One night, I was seized by an intense dream plunging me directly into virgin and unexplored waters. It was a call from my soul …
A call to change, a turning point. This dream clearly states that my vocation was not on earth, but in the water!
Without delay, I resume training at the beginning of 2009. I register for the descent of the Saguenay (42 km) and finished in the first female rank of this competition.
This success gave me wings and inspired me to think outside the box. To surpass myself more, to realize greater, to conquer the impossible in the waters of the world. That’s what appealed to me. From that moment, I understood that I would swim out of competitive settings.
Like the water of a river, my passion, swimming flowed in my veins. I was convinced that I could swim successively several marathons. In September 2009, I decided to swim down the St-Maurice River (165 km) and managed the feat brilliantly, in 5 days. This accomplishment led to several other expeditions …
That’s why, they call me now: “La Sirène du Québec” and my motto: “Swim to your dreams” follows me everywhere.
My mission is now to swim to raise awareness of all those I meet, the importance of preserving this vital resource, which is offered to us by nature; the water.
achievements
Shawinigan
Bassin St-Maurice- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 70
- Duration: 24 h
Montréal / Québec
St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 250
- Duration: 7 days
Montréal / Québec
St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 250
- Duration: 8 days
Gatineau / Montréal
Ottawa River from Gatineau to Montreal- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 185
- Duration: 7 days
Lac St-Jean
Tour du Lac St-Jean- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 300
- Duration: 10 days
Québec / Matane
St. Lawrence River from Quebec to Matane- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 350
- Duration: 17 days
La Tuque
24H of swimming- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 75
- Duration: 24H
Montréal / Québec
St. Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 250
- Duration: 9 days
Lac St-Jean
Tour du Lac St-Jean- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 130
- Duration: 6 days
La Tuque / Trois-Rivières
St-Maurice River from La Tuque to Trois-Rivières- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 165
- Duration: 3 days
La Tuque / Trois-Rivières
St-Maurice River from La Tuque to Trois-Rivières- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Solo
- Kms: 165
- Duration: 5 days
Chicoutimi / La Baie
Saguenay Descent from Chicoutimi to La Baie- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Competition
- Rank: 1st woman
- Kms: 42
- Duration: 5H36
Ocean Marathon Swim
Competition- Place: Atlantic City, E-U
- Type: Competition
- Rank: 4th woman
- Kms: 34
- Duration: 8H09:17
International Memphrémagog
Competition- Place: Magog, Québec. Canada
- Type: Compétition
- Rank: 7th woman
- Kms: 42
- Duration: 11H38:50
Canadian Championship
Bassin Olympique- Place: Montréal, Québec. Canada
- Type: Competition
- Rank: 3rd woman
- Kms: 25
- Duration: 05:49
Koroni- Kalamata
Greece- Place: Québec. Canada
- Type: Compétition
- Rank: 2nd woman
- Kms: 30
- Duration: 09:30:00
Ocean Marathon Swim
Atlantic City, E.-U.- Place: Atlantic City, E.-U.
- Type: Compétition
- Rank: 7th woman
- Kms: 34
- Duration: 09:03:31
Lac St-Jean
Traversée du Lac St-Jean- Place: Québec, Canada
- Type: Competition
- Rank: 4th woman
- Kms: 40
- Duration: 11:15:23
5th World Cup
Lac Leman, Lauzanne, Suisse- Place: Lac Leman, Lauzanne, Suisse
- Type: Competition
- Rank: 14th woman
- Kms: 25
- Duration: 06:10:12
Canadian Championship
Bassin Olympique- Place: Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Type: Compétition
- Rank: 2nd woman
- Kms: 25
- Duration: 05:46:00
International Memphrémagog
Competition- Place: Magog, Québec, Canada
- Type: Competition
- Rank: 7th woman
- Kms: 42
- Duration: 10:14:10
Canadian Championship
Competition Bassin olympique- Place: Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Type: Compétition
- Rank: 3rd woman
- Kms: 25
- Duration: 06:17:00
Honors and merits
Honorary President
on the occasion of the International Women's DayHonorary President
Festi-BeachGala Femme de Mérite
YWCA of QuébecJeux du Québec, Shawinigan
Representative of female athletes for the 2012 Quebec Games in Shawinigan
Tout le Monde Dehors
Participation in the show "Tout le monde hors" broadcast on TéléQuébec.
Guest of Honor
Vocalys
Finalist at the Gala
Young Chamber of Commerce of Mauricie- "Female Personality of the Year
- Coup de cœur
Laureate at the National Activity
Recognition of the citizenBons Baisers de France
Radio-Canada, France BeaudoinSports Personality of the Year
Le Nouvelliste
Gala Sport-Hommage
Desjardins de la Mauricie
Headliner
Le NouvellisteAmbassador of the Maurici
Recognition event.Gala Sport-Hommage
Desjardins de la Mauricieswim toward your dreams
speaker
Dynamic and interactive conferences.
The objectives of the conferences are: motivation, surpassing oneself, the environment and the protection of water in particular.
Conferences adapted to primary or secondary schools, early childhood centers, companies, organizations, associations, special activities or training … Many concrete examples on different topics for the mobilization of all towards a better future.
YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK A CONFERENCE?