What began as the simple joy of playing in the water as a young child led to an international athletic career when Annabelle Frappier started synchronized swimming at the age of 7. Drawn initially to the artistic side of the sport, she spent six years as a member of Canada’s Senior National Synchronized Swimming Team.
“I will never forget my years with the national team”, said Frappier as she announced her retirement. “They allowed me to travel, to share enriching experiences with my teammates and to overcome many obstacles but also, most importantly, they allowed me to live great moments.” Annabelle made her international debut at the 2009 Junior Pan American Championships where she won gold in both the duet and team events. The next year, she helped Canada to a bronze medal in the team event at the FINA World Junior Championships and also made her senior international debut at the FINA World Trophy, a competition that celebrates the beauty and artistry of synchronized swimming.In 2013 Annabelle competed in the team technical event at the FINA World Championships. She was also part of the FINA World Cup team in 2014 and of the 2015 Toronto PanAm Games team that won the gold medal. Her final competition wearing the Canada colours was the 2016 Olympic Qualifier in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where the team finished fourth.Throughout her career, she represented the Vestales Synchro Club (Saint-Hyacinthe) and Montreal Synchro and has trained at the Montreal Centre of Excellence since 2010. She has enjoyed competing for Canada in different countries around the world, but her fondest memory from her international career occurred right at home when she won gold in the team event at the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games: “Winning gold in front of our home crowd was simply unforgettable.”
Senior National Team Head Coach Meng Chen will miss Annabelle’s smile and passion for the sport. “Annabelle loves synchronized swimming and she will be greatly missed at the Centre of Excellence. She has been a tremendous representative of our sport and our country, and on behalf of all Synchro Canada members, and our coaching and support staff here at the Centre of Excellence, I want to thank her for all that she has contributed to our sport.”
“I’d like to thank Meng Chen who has allowed me to reach my full potential in my sport,” said Frappier, who is currently studying at Université de Montréal. “I’d also like to express my immense gratitude to my family who never stopped supporting me throughout my whole career, over the last 17 years.”
