Paralympic athlete Aurélie Rivard has gold medal stolen in Montreal vehicle theft

Paralympic athlete Aurélie Rivard had her vehicle stolen in Montreal over the weekend, with many valuables inside, including her 2016 gold medal from the Paralympic Games in Rio.

“That’s the one that I wanted. That’s the one that I won. That’s the one that was put around my neck during the games, and that’s the one that I want back,” said Rivard. “It’s very heartbreaking for me.”

Rivard’s 2019 RAV4 was parked on Davidson street, near Rachel, just before the Petro Canada gas station on Saturday night, into Sunday. 

“I went out for dinner with friends, and when I came back, my car was gone,” explained Rivard, adding, “it was obvious that my window had been busted. Like somebody broke into my car because my window was all over the ground and I didn’t have a car anymore.”

In her car, Rivard had swimming clothing, Paralympic gear, textbooks for law school as well as several medals including the gold medal that she won in the 400 meter freestyle event at the 2016 Paralympic Games. 

“On an objective standpoint, it has no worth, no value. What brings a value of a medal is my experience of it. Everything that I did to win it at the games. So it has value to my eyes because I’m the only one who invested in it with my time, with my emotions, with my work, with, you know, all of this,” said Rivard.

“You know, how every single athlete that’s ever stood on the podium is going to tell you the same thing. And so it’s something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. And to see it in somebody else’s hands is very heartbreaking to me. It’s something also that’s irreplaceable. So it’s not like I can get insurance money and buy myself a new one.”

Rivard adds that this medal is important to her because in the same event at the previous Paralympics in 2012 in London, she had won silver. Winning gold in 2016 represented four years of hard work.

“It was such a special moment. I shared it with all my family, my friends, my team. It was my last event of the games too, so I could celebrate a little bit. I could let go of the pressure a little bit to for the first time of the of the competition. So, it was it was it’s probably one of the most significant to me,” explained Rivard.

Rivard says that she isn’t very hopeful that she will see her medal again, but is asking those who stole her car to return it.

“I have a lot of emotions that I would love to share with them. But honestly, I just want I want my car. I want everything that’s in my car back. I want my medal back,” said Rivard.

“I just hope that they they hear it and they they can throw my medal on the ground and then somebody will pick it up. You know, that’s fine. But hopefully somebody somewhere will find it.”