Monica Pinette
{{short description|Canadian modern pentathlete}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor = lightblue
| name = Monica Pinette
| image = Monica Pinette, Yane Marques, Mickey Kelly 2007.jpg
| image_size = 280px
| caption = Monica Pinette, Yane Marques and Michelle Kelly at the 2007 Pan American Games
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| nationality = Canadian
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|2|5}}
| birth_place = Vancouver, British Columbia
| hometown = Langley, British Columbia
| height = {{height|m=1.76|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|59|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}}
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| sport = Modern pentathlon
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| club = Fraser Valley Modern Pentathlon Association
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| coach = Philipp Waeffler
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{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | Pan American Games }}
{{MedalSilver | 2007 Rio de Janeiro | Individual }}
| show-medals = yes
}}
Monica Pinette (born February 5, 1977) is a two-time Olympic modern pentathlete from Canada.{{cite sports-reference|title = Monica Pinette|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pi/monica-pinette-1.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200418090511/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pi/monica-pinette-1.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = April 18, 2020|access-date = November 15, 2012}} She is one of the first female Canadian modern pentathletes, and the only indigenous athlete of (Métis) to compete at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.{{cite web |title=Aboriginal Pentathlete Monica Pinette |author=O'Neal, Morgan |url=http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/2008/09/aboriginal-pentathlete-monica-pinette/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220332/http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/2008/09/aboriginal-pentathlete-monica-pinette/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |publisher=First Nations Drum |date=September 18, 2008 |access-date=November 15, 2012}} Her 13th-place finish overall at the 2004 Summer Olympics was Canada's best recorded performance in the modern pentathlon to date.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/2.720/monica-pinette-1.734874|title=Monica Pinette|work=CBC Sports|access-date=2017-03-27|language=en}}
Early life and career
Pinette was born in the city of Vancouver and grew up in Langley, British Columbia. Pinette began her sporting career as a member of the Pony Club in Vancouver. She took up the pentathlon at age 21.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/politics-unravels-aboriginal-athletes-plan-to-wear-traditional-garb/article17970082/ |title=Politics unravels aboriginal athlete's plan to wear traditional garb |website=theglobeandmail.com |access-date=January 5, 2018}} She has participated in modern pentathlon at different local clubs for swimming, shooting, fencing, and horse-riding. Pinette provides a unique challenge for her opponents as she is left handed, a rarity in the sport of fencing.{{Cite web|url=http://www.caaws-womenatthegames.ca/olympics/2008/profiles/m_pinette.cfm|title=Profiles: Following Canadian Women Athletes to Beijing|website=www.caaws-womenatthegames.ca|access-date=2017-03-27}}
Pinette graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, and earned a diploma in Journalism and Photojournalism from the Western Academy of Photography.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} She was coached by her husband Philipp Waeffler, 1996 Olympic modern pentathlete from Switzerland.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
Pinette describes the dynamic of having her husband and coach be the same person as having "Two Philipps" and admits that she has to separate her husband from coach in order to avoid getting frustrated.{{Cite web|url=http://ammsa.com/publications/windspeaker/olympian-monica-pinette-leaves-beijing-lasting-memories|title=Olympian Monica Pinette leaves Beijing with lasting memories {{!}} Windspeaker - AMMSA|website=ammsa.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-27}} In 2009, Monica Pinette received the British Columbia Premier's Award.{{Cite web|url=http://www.metismuseum.ca/media/document.php/12002.Monica%20Pinette.pdf|title=Monica Pinette|last=Barkwell|first=Lawrence|website=The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture}} She received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, now known as the Indspire Awards in the sport category in 2010. Pinette admits she was surprised to win the award, as pentathlon is a small sport, and usually lacks media coverage or attention.{{Cite web|url=http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/2010/02/monica-pinette-athlete-in-obscure-sport-to-receive-national-aboriginal-achievement-award/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327175059/http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/2010/02/monica-pinette-athlete-in-obscure-sport-to-receive-national-aboriginal-achievement-award/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 27, 2017|title=Monica Pinette: Athlete in Obscure Sport to Receive National Aboriginal Achievement Award|website=www.firstnationsdrum.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-03-27}}Indspire, Laureate, Monica Pinette [http://indspire.ca/laureate/monica-pinette]. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
Awards
She made her international debut at the 2002 and 2003 World Championships and eventually competed at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she finished seventh. Following this Pinette qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, along with her compatriot Kara Grant. They made their national debut in the women's event. With her strongest performance in the fencing segment, Pinette finished successfully in thirteenth place, the highest position achieved by a modern Canadian pentathlete, male or female, in Olympic history.
Pinette continued to earn a fourth-place finish for the team relay at the 2006 World Modern Pentathlon Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and also, her first medal by winning gold at the Pan American Championships in the same year. She also added her silver medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, automatically receiving a qualifying berth for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. At the Olympics, Pinette finished in twenty-seventh place, following a poor performance in the last three sporting segments.
Personal life
Currently, Monica Pinette is a retired pentathlete and is working towards raising awareness for aboriginal athletes in Canada as well as giving advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle, specifically as an aboriginal person. She contributed to the creation of a booklet titled Growing Up Healthy that encourages First Nations parents in British Columbia to live a healthy lifestyle. Pinette is married, has two sons and is living with her family near Cologne in Germany.{{Cite book|url=http://www.fnha.ca/wellnessContent/Wellness/growingup.pdf|title=Growing Up Healthy|publisher=The National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health|year=2013|location=British Columbia, Canada}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category|Monica Pinette}}
- {{UIPM|monica-pinette|Monica Pinette}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120803034913/http://www.pentathlon.org/component/uipm/athleteprofile/pentathlete/1503-monica-pinette archived page from Pentathlon.org])
- {{Team Canada|monica-pinette}}
- {{Olympics.com profile|monica-pinette}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130115095641/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2008Beijing/Athletes/2008/07/30/6310791.html Canoe Canada Profile]}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinette, Monica}}
Category:Canadian female modern pentathletes
Category:Olympic modern pentathletes for Canada
Category:Modern pentathletes at the 2007 Pan American Games
Category:Modern pentathletes at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Category:Modern pentathletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Canada
Category:Sportspeople from Vancouver
Category:Pan American Games medalists in modern pentathlon