Josée Grand’Maître – Hall of Fame –

Accomplishments

Josée Grand’Maître has an unparalleled history in the sport of racquetball in Canada.

Over the span of her twenty-seven year career, Grand’Maître competed thirty-nine times internationally for Canada, giving her the record for the national team member with the most international appearances. She retired as the longest standing member of Racquetball Canada’s National Team.

As a member the national team, Grand’Maître amassed forty-five podium finishes at the international level, many of which were won at the World Championship level. She first represented Canada internationally at the 1988 World Championships where she won silver in Women’s Doubles and the Women’s Team Event, as well as the silver medal won by the Overall Team. She is the only Canadian female athlete to have competed in four Pan Am Games where she contributed to Canada’s success with medals at three of those Games, including a bronze in Women’s Doubles in 2003.

Grand’Maître is a three-time Canadian Women’s Open singles champion, but she was a true force in doubles, having won the Canadian Women’s Open doubles title a record fifteen times. In total she had forty-one podium finishes in Open singles and doubles events at the Canadian Championships over a span of twenty-eight years, winning 18 gold, 13 silver and 10 bronze medals.

As a veteran player, Grand’Maître’s greatest strength was her exceptional game strategy.  She was particularly skilled at using the angles of the court and had great control, changing up shots from power to finesse to throw off her opponents. Strategic play was a key factor in Grand’Maître being ranked 3rd in Canada for several years.

Grand’Maître developed a very diverse approach to competition, which could be offensive or defensive based on the opponent she faced. She was excellent at adapting to the playing style of her different doubles partners, which was evidenced by the fact that she won her Women’s Open Doubles titles at the Canadian Championships with six different partners and had international podium results with nine different partners.

Among the national team ranks, Grand’Maître was respected as a great champion and a true team player. She was a positive role model, showing other athletes how to succeed through leadership and dedication to the sport. Her consistency and professionalism paved the way for Team Canada’s success.

In addition to Grand’Maître’s athletic achievements, she has supported the growth of the sport as a coach, athlete mentor and representative. As a NCCP Level III coach, she was the Team Canada Coach at eight Junior World Championships and also coached Team Québec at the 1991 Canada Games.  She also contributed to the development of the sport as the athlete representative on Racquetball Canada’s High Performance Committee for several years. Grand’Maitre was recognized by Racquetball Canada for her contributions as the recipient of the Women’s Award (now the Susan Livingston Award) in 2005.

Grand’Maître has strong ties to sport beyond her athletic career.  She works with the Canadian Olympic Committee where she supports Canada’s athletes. Prior to that she worked with Institut national du sport du Québec for 17 years.

Grand’Maître last competed internationally in 2014 where she won a bronze medal at the Pan Am Championships in women’s doubles. She officially announced her retirement in 2015. Thanks to her professional attitude and her commitment to training and competition, Grand’Maître remains a model for Canadian athletes and coaches who follow in her footsteps.

Click here to read Josée Grand’Maître’s acceptance remarks from the 2018 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Photo gallery coming soon!

Career Summary

2014

• Pan Am Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• Pan Am Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Team Event
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Women’s Open Doubles

2013

• Canadian Championships: SILVER – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Women’s Open Doubles

2012

• World Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• World Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Team Event
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

2011

• Pan Am Games: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

2010

• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team Event
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Doubles

2009

• Pan Am Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

2008

• World Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Team Event
• Pan Am Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Doubles

2007

• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

2006

• World Championships:BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team
• Pan Am Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

2005

• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

2004

• World Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• World Championships: Silver – Women’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER – Overall Team
• Pan Am Championships: Silver – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: BRONZE– Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

2003

• Pan Am Games: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• Pan Am Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

2002

• World Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Singles
• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER  – Overall Team
• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Singles
• Pan Am Championships: SILVER – Women’s Team
• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Overall Team
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Doubles

2001

• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Women’s Open Doubles

2000

• Canadian Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Open Doubles

1999

• Pan Am Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Doubles
• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team Event
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Open Doubles

1998

• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Doubles
• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team
• World Championships: SILVER  – Overall Team
• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

1997

• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Doubles

1996

• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team
• World Championships: SILVER  – Overall Team
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Doubles

1995

• Pan Am Games: SILVER  – Women’s Team Event
• Canadian Championships: BRONZE– Mixed Open Doubles

1994

• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team
• World Championships: SILVER  – Overall Team
• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team Event
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

1993

• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD  – Women’s Open Doubles

1992

• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Doubles
• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER  – Overall Team
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Doubles

1990

• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Doubles
• World Championships:SILVER  – Women’s Team Event
• World Championships:SILVER  – Overall Team
• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Women’s Open Doubles

1989

• Pan Am Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: BRONZE – Women’s Open Doubles

1988

• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Doubles
• World Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER  – Overall Team
• Canadian Championships: SILVER  – Women’s Open Doubles

1985

• Canadian Championships: BRONZE – Mixed Open Doubles