POV podcast: Benoit Huot on his illustrious Paralympic career
Decorated Canadian Paralympic swimmer reflects on his retirement
When Benoit Huot climbs out of the pool today, he bids adieu to a Paralympic career like no other.
Huot competed through an astounding five quadrennials. He racked up 20 medals, but maybe more important than his long residency at the top of the podium was his joy in contributing to the growth of the Paralympic movement.
When he started swimming, hardly anybody followed the Paralympics. But as he hangs up his towel, it has become the high profile, broadcast, streamed and social media rich, multi-sport event that matters to so many people today.
Huot and host Anastasia Bucsis talk it all through in the the latest edition of the Player's Own Voice podcast. Retirement is not a breezy step for any professional. Particularly not for athletes, who of course are packing it in decades before everyone else.
But even within sports retirements, Huot's is unusual. People started talking to him about life after swimming way back in 2008. Ten years is a long time to spend pondering the end game. But on the plus side, it gave him plenty of time to figure out what's next. And the short answer to that is... a whole bunch of life is what's next. School, marriage, fatherhood...Huot has no shortage of commitments to catch up on.
Just in case you're feeling sorry for Huot in retirement, he's also planning his annual pool party. That event is always a who's who of Montreal sport heroes taking the plunge.
Benoit Huot and all the other conversations in our growing list of POV podcasts is available free on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Tune In or wherever you get your podcasts.