CARVING A NEW PATH: Judo Athlete Priscilla Gagné & GDA

As a visually impaired Judo athlete, Priscilla Gagné never relied on a guide dog, though she was the proud owner of a German Shepherd Lab, Sergeant Tango. When Tango neared the end of his life in early 2023, Priscilla decided it was time to get a formally trained service dog.

“Making the jump from white cane to guide dog was a no-brainer,” Priscilla explains. Montreal’s three-year waiting list for service dogs led her to consider international options. Based in Southern California, Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines became her choice. “I knew it would take three weeks to train,” says Priscilla. “If I’m going to spend three weeks somewhere, I knew I wanted it to be California.”

The application process validated Priscilla’s decision. “Within a week or two of contacting GDA | TLC, I got confirmation I was approved and accepted. Not even a week later, I got a call telling me they had a match,” she says. “They wanted me to come just two days after a competition in Egypt. The timing was divine.”

Priscilla Gagné speaking at the 2024 Ontario Provincial Council of Machinists (OPCM) annual convention

LEARNING TO TRUST ZOPHIA

In March 2023, Priscilla flew to Los Angeles and met her match, Zophia. She had to learn how to use the harness and give commands before meeting her new companion.

“When we finally got our dogs, they wanted us to be with them and feel the harness,” recalls Priscilla. “I walk really fast and so does Zophia. They matched us so well. I had one hand on her harness and the other up in front of my body —— we call it a bumper.”

“Our trainer, Sean, kept telling me to trust my dog, but even when I put my hand down, it was flexed. I was so tense.” The first hurdle was learning to trust Zophia. Priscilla adapted quickly in Los Angeles but faced new challenges back home in Montreal.

“In Montreal, it took two weeks for both of us to be comfortable with each other,” says Priscilla. “Dogs don’t always recognize flat curbs as curbs.” The trainers’ reminder that the training would continue at home proved true. The solution? Treats!

Zophia lived up to her training, proving to be an intelligent, trainable, and affectionate companion.

“Every day, she amazes me,” says Priscilla. “She never ceases to surprise me with her intellect. Before I go to bed, I give her a hug and kiss and thank her for helping me. She sleeps in my bed every night.”

GDA | TLC set up Priscilla and Zophia for success, providing a foundation of trust and excellence. “The staff, the trainers, and everyone involved did an amazing job to help us feel completely welcomed and safe,” says Priscilla.

“They did a great job teaching us how to work with our dogs.” GDA | TLC also exceeded Priscilla’s expectations with their tact during training and careful follow-up post-training.

“They have so much respect,” says Priscilla. “They also do close follow-up once you go home so that they know their dog is in good hands. Their dogs have been treated well.”

A PERFECT PARTNER FOR JUDO PRACTICE

Priscilla, a former high school wrestler and goalball player on the National Team, is a skilled athlete. When she discovered Judo, she found a grappling sport included in the Paralympics.

“When playing goalball, I missed the combativeness of wrestling. The closest thing to wrestling in the Paralympics was Judo,” explains Priscilla. “Plus, in wrestling you can’t do real submissions —— chokes and armlocks —— but in Judo you can. That was appealing to me.”

Priscilla joined the Canadian National Team in 2014 and competed in the 2015 Rio Paralympics. She has traveled to Turkey, Germany, Uzbekistan, Great Britain, Egypt, and more, competing in this sport requiring a unique blend of timing, strength, and deep concentration.

Competing as a Paralympic Judo athlete in Canada can be challenging. Montreal’s small, integrated training system means para-Judo athletes train with able-bodied National Team athletes. Historically, Priscilla had to leave Tango at home, which was difficult, and finding a partner was challenging.

“Initially, it was so discouraging. People don’t always want to practice with someone who is visually impaired,” explains Priscilla. “We don’t see the fluidness of their movements, and the rules are different. We always start with a grip, we always have to have two hands on, and you can’t block a hand. In regular Judo, none of that stuff goes.”

However, going to practice with Zophia has changed everything. Navigating busy Montreal, with its heavy vehicle and foot traffic, bicycle lanes, and metro, is taxing. But walking with Zophia eases that burden and makes it more motivating to go to training. “She knows where we’re going,” says Priscilla. “I can ask her to find a door or the stairs in the metro, and she finds it. I don’t need to ask for help anymore. She breezes through obstacles.”

“It takes a lot of energy to navigate this city.
Zophia makes navigation one less thing I need to think about.”
—Priscilla Gagné

Not only does Zophia help Priscilla journey the hazard-heavy route to practice without a cane, but her presence also lightens the environment. “She hangs out in the physio room,” says Priscilla. “People come in with minor injuries or disappointments, but they immediately light up when they see Zophia.”

Zophia also serves as a great conversation starter. “People ask me how she helps me,” says Priscilla. “It brings a lot of awareness, even to the younger generation.” Bringing Zophia to practice has made the whole process smoother and more enjoyable. “It’s so much easier,” says Priscilla.

Priscilla will compete in Paris in the fall of 2024 and will retire from Judo as a National Team athlete. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this journey, and I have no regrets. Having said that, I am definitely ready for the next step in my life,” explains Priscilla.

Whatever that next step may be, Zophia will be at her side.

Article from Guide Dogs of America