When Maxime Drolet-Gauthier first tried wheelchair rugby, he wasn’t convinced it was the sport for him. 

Introduced to the game while still in rehabilitation following his spinal cord injury in 2013, he attended a couple of practices in Montreal after being encouraged by his kinesiologist, Annie-Claude.  

“I was still in rehab, and I tried wheelchair rugby one or two times,” he recalled. “At first, I was not very comfortable being around too many people in a wheelchair. It was not for me.” 

Rather than forcing himself to continue, Drolet-Gauthier chose not to continue playing. Two years later, he returned to court, this time on his own terms. 

Looking back, he credits Annie-Claude for helping him discover a sport that would eventually change not only his life, but the lives of so many Montréal-based players.  

“Probably 50 per cent of the wheelchair rugby players in Montreal play because Annie-Claude introduced them,” he said. “She likes to introduce people to the sport, and she knows the benefit of sport.” 

That first practice also introduced him to a national team athlete and future Team Canada teammate.  

“I remember Yanick Racicot was very welcoming and a good teacher,” Drolet-Gauthier said. “He was the first person that asked me to come back.” 

When he officially joined his local club in 2016 at the age of 22, he wasn’t thinking about representing Canada. Drolet-Gauthier just wanted to be active. 

“When I started my first and second practices, I was very slow. Very slow and not skilled,” he said with a laugh. “I just wanted to gain strength. Eventually I saw that I had potential. I got a little bit faster, and that gave me the confidence to continue.” 

His steady improvement caught the attention of those around him. Three years after taking up the sport, former Team Canada head coach Patrick Côté invited him to his first national team selection camp. But even then, the national team wasn’t something Drolet-Gauthier had envisioned for himself. 

“At the beginning, that was not my goal,” he said. “I was in university, and I saw Anthony Létourneau training for the national team. It was a big commitment. He was always practicing, and I wasn’t ready for that.” 

It was the confidence that coaches and teammates had in him that gradually changed his outlook. Drolet-Gauthier credits Patrick Côté, Yanick Racicot, Cody Caldwell and Travis Murao as key figures in his development, as each of them encouraged him to keep pushing and pursue the next level. 

“They told me, ‘You have potential.’ They kept telling me to keep pushing.” 

Drolet-Gauthier first earned his place on the national team in 2021, but like many athletes, his opportunities to compete internationally were limited to development camps and competitions in the years that followed. It wasn’t until April 2026 that he made his debut at a World Wheelchair Rugby sanctioned event, marking his first major international tournament with Team Canada. Just two months later, he returned to the international stage at the Canada Cup in Richmond, British Columbia.  

Now, with two international tournaments under his belt, the thirty-two-year-old is preparing for the biggest competition of his career. The 2026 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships in São Paulo will be his third major international event and his first appearance at a world championship. 

“It’s a very good accomplishment for me,” he said. “I know I have my place on the team, but I also know I have a lot to learn. I love the experience I’m going to gain with this championship.” 

Throughout his journey, one person has remained a constant source of support, and has supported him in reaching the highest level of sport. 

“My father… one hundred per cent,” Drolet-Gauthier said when asked who has had the biggest impact on his development. “When I started playing, he brought me to every practice, put me in his car, and at the beginning, when I wasn’t very good at transferring, he helped me every time. Every competition, he always came with me.” 

Drolet-Gauthier also credits Charlotte and Murielle, owners of the Montreal-based rehabilitation clinic Neuro-Concept, for playing a significant role in his development. Since 2016, they have supported his training and physical development, both in wheelchair rugby and in pursuing goals beyond the sport, including marathons and ultramarathons.

“Over the years, they’ve generously provided me with hundreds of physiotherapy and training sessions free of charge, and they’ve also designed my training programs at no cost. I truly believe they have been instrumental in my physical development and in helping me accomplish many of the goals I’ve set for myself.”

More than a decade after first being introduced to the sport, Drolet-Gauthier’s journey has come full circle. What began with a local practice has become an opportunity to represent Canada at the World Championships. 

As he prepares for his World Championship debut in São Paulo, Drolet-Gauthier is embracing the opportunity to continue learning while gaining valuable experience on the international stage.