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| Human Interest | |
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Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Regina, SK, CAN |
General Interest | |
| Injuries | In early 2017 her performance was affected by a sore triceps muscle in her right arm. (therecord.com, 01 Apr 2017) She won gold at the 2011 Summer Nationals despite battling shoulder and elbow problems. (thestarphoenix.com, 20 Jun 2011) She withdrew from the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, due to a shoulder injury that had not healed in time. (thesportscampus.com, 28 Sep 2010) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | She switched from swimming to diving after watching fellow Canadian divers Emilie Heymans and Alexandre Despatie. |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She began diving at age seven, and started competing at age eight. |
International Debut | |
| Year | 2005 |
| Competing for | Canada |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
| Languages | English, French |
General Interest | |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning a gold medal in the women's synchronised 10m platform event at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, ON, Canada. (diving.ca, 30 Jul 2019) |
| Awards and honours | She was named Diving Canada's Female Athlete of the Year in 2020. (olympics.com, 04 Feb 2021) In 2019 she was chosen as an inductee of the Portuguese Canadian Walk of Fame. (Facebook page, 10 Jun 2019) She was Canada's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. (Facebook profile, 03 May 2019) She and her synchronised diving partner Roseline Filion were named Aquatics Canada's Team of the Year in 2012 and 2013. (diving.ca, 24 Apr 2016; aquaticscanada.ca, 01 Jan 2013) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Winning isn't everything, but losing sucks." (olympic.ca, 27 Jul 2019) |
| Hero / Idol | Canadian divers Emilie Heymans and Alexandre Despatie. (gc2018.com, 01 Apr 2018) |
| Other information | APARTMENT BLAZE In January 2021 her apartment was destroyed by fire after a neighbour's barbecue exploded. Another 14 homes were destroyed in the blaze. She lost all her belongings, including the three diving medals she won at the Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016. "There is absolutely nothing recoverable. Of course, it's sad. But most importantly Alex [Dupuis, partner] and I are healthy and alive. Everyone got out without being hurt. I don't sleep well. I'm more mentally drained than physically, but I'm still able to function. It's draining because that's all you talk about, from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep, or try to sleep." She received replacement medals in June 2021. (olympic.ca, 08 Jun 2021; olympics.com, 04 Feb 2021; olympics.nbcsports.com, 01 Feb 2021) RETIREMENT THOUGHTS She considered quitting the sport after her diving partner Roseline Filion retired in January 2017, but was encouraged to persevere by coach Arturo Miranda. "I had a rough year losing Rosie. I was questioning everything. We grew up together. I already knew that she was retiring but it really hadn't hit me until it was officially announced. We'd been diving together for 11 years. If I was asked that question [retirement] in 2012, I would have said I would like to walk away with Rosie. But after changing coaches to train with Arturo Miranda, he motivated me more than ever. I didn't know if I wanted to continue, but I'm happy I did because I think I have a lot left in me." (journaldequebec.com, 26 Apr 2021; ici.radio-canada.ca, 24 Jul 2020, 08 Aug 2019; cbc.ca, 29 Apr 2018, 26 Jan 2017, 10 Apr 2018) HERITAGE Her parents Arthur Benfeito and Margarida Correia are both of Portuguese heritage. "Being Portuguese is something special. I always say that I do compete for Canada, but everything that I do and all of my performances are recognised by Portugal as well, and that's very important. I have two countries that are behind me. I couldn't ask for more support than that. I'm very family oriented, so to have two families like that from two different countries is absolutely amazing." (GenteDaNossa YouTube channel, 18 Nov 2017; olympic.ca, 01 Aug 2016) |
| Hobbies | Baking, photography, fashion. (olympic.ca, 27 Jul 2019; diving.ca, 01 Jun 2018) |
| Nicknames | Meg (Facebook profile, 01 Jan 2022) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Pointe-Claire Aquatic Club: Canada |
General Interest | |
| Most influential person in career | Her family. (ici.radio-canada.ca, 24 Jul 2020) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Partner Alexandre Dupuis |
General Interest | |
| Famous relatives | Her partner Alexandre Dupuis has played for a number of teams in the Canadian Football League. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 01 Feb 2021) |