Mr. Speaker, on September 9, Émilie Mondor, a young athlete with dreams of going to the Olympic Games in Beijing, died in a car accident.
The Mascouche native began to make a name for herself in cross-country running nearly 10 years ago. In 2003, she became the first Canadian woman to run 5,000 metres in under 15 minutes. Over the past two years, she faced many challenges and even considered early retirement. Nevertheless, she went back to competition in April, and in July 2006, she announced her intention to focus on marathon running.
Émilie Mondor will continue to inspire us because of the endurance, courage and integrity she brought to her discipline.
On behalf of my Bloc Québécois colleagues, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to her family and friends.