Alex Baldoni our man on the Seine in Paris
FRANCE—Alex Baldoni, who was born in France but who has dual citizenship with his mother being from Canada (and who has family ties to Manitoulin and area) will be taking part in three different water disciplines (sports) at the World Summer Olympic Games being held in France.
“I live in France, but I was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada,” said Christine (Cote) Baldoni from her home in France. “My brother lives in Sault Ste. Marie and my sister lives in Val Caron with her husband. I have now been living in France with my husband Patrick and our two kids for the past 25 years, but we travel to Canada every year for a month and have camped at the same place on Manitoulin that my sister and her husband stay at. My kids love Canada. The family is Canadian.”
“Alex has dual citizenship, and he chose to represent Canada at the Olympics,” said Ms. Baldoni.
Mijou Pelletier (Ms. Baldoni’s sister) told The Expositor last week, “we visit the Island several times a year. We have a trailer, and we camp mostly at Providence Bay. I also have a niece who lives in Kagawong and other friends who live there as well. We all love Manitoulin Island.”
Jill Tapper, of Long Island, New York, who is a good friend of Ms. Baldoni, initiated a GoFundMe fundraising page for Alex Baldoni (in hopes of raising $22,000. “Twenty-year-old Alex Baldoni is representing the greatest country in the world (Canada) at this summer’s Paris 2024 Olympics. Alex, son of Chris Cote and Patrick Baldoni, qualified to represent Canada this past spring in canoe slalom and kayak cross. Canadian Olympians (in these sports) rely on donations and sponsorships to help offset the costs of training camps, sporting equipment, transportation, accommodations, everything it takes to reach the highest level of amateur sport.”
Ms. Tapper said, “I am originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, and Chris was my teacher in high school. I now live in Long Island, New York and her and I are very good friends. When I heard Alex had qualified for the Olympics I said ‘oh my gosh, we have to do something to help out.’ Chris left Ontario in 1998 and moved to France with her husband, who is from France. Alex has dual citizenship and could have picked to represent France or Canada and chose Canada.
Ms. Baldoni noted that her daughter Lea Baldoni, who is 22, just missed qualifying for Canada for the Olympics in the same sports as her younger brother Alex did.
A Canada Olympic team profile explained, “at 20, Alex Baldoni is realizing his childhood dream of competing in the Olympics level earlier than expected. A dual citizen of both Canada and France, he qualified in March for the Paris Sumer Olympics to represent Team Canada in the canoe slalom and kayak cross events.”
“Alex Baldoni qualified for Paris 2024 by winning his C-1 event at the 2024 COPAC Slalom Americas Olympic Qualifier in mid-March,” the profile explained. He was a finalist in men’s C-1 at the 2023 International Canoe Federation (ICF) U23 World Championships, where he placed 10th. He was a semifinalist there in men’s kayak cross, placing fifth overall. He went on to win the silver medal in men’s kayak cross and placed fifth in the men’s C-1 event at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. In 2021, he achieved Canada’s best ever performance in men’s canoe slalom when he placed sixth at the ICF Junior World Championships.
“The last four years have been incredible, but also very hard while training,” said Mr. Baldoni. “I have worked really hard and spent countless hours on the water trying to improve on every possible aspect; whether technical, psychological, physical preparation, relaxation and recovery. Now I have finally qualified for my first Olympic Games. I am very much looking forward to experience such a great event and to becoming an Olympian.”
Ms. Baldoni explained when her son qualified at the canoe slalom, “automatically qualified for kayak cross. Canada didn’t have anyone for kayak cross.”
Kayak cross is a new discipline being introduced in the Olympics this year.
“No, Alex is not expected to medal in the Olympics,” offered Ms. Baldoni. However, in Kayak Cross it is all about tactics so he might have a chance to medal. In France there were 300 athletes competing for one spot, while for Canada there were two competitors in all three events.”
“One of the many cool things about all of this is last fall my husband and I signed up to be volunteers at the Olympics. We love these sports. But we had no idea one of our kids might qualify for the Olympics for Canada. It’s thrilling.”
