Maxime Brinck-Croteau

Biography

Maxime Brinck-Croteau achieved a career highlight when he won silver in the individual épée at the 2015 Pan American Championships, despite competing with an infected plantar wart on his foot. He made his senior FIE World Championship debut in 2015, helping Canada to a 10^th place finish in team épée, after having competed at the FIE World Junior Championships in 2004. Brinck-Croteau was part of Canada’s fifth place finish in team épée at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto and finished the 2014-15 season with a career-high year-end world ranking of 44^th. Brinck-Croteau had left his family, friends and job behind in 2011 to train and coach fulltime in China at Vango Fencing, which funded his training and travel. He returned to Canada four years later when the club opened a branch in Toronto, looking for a more relaxed and comfortable training atmosphere during the Olympic qualification period. He made his Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

Getting to know…

Family: Parents Marcel Croteau and Marie-Josee Brinck… Older sister Kathleen Brinck-Croteau… Getting into the Sport: Started fencing at age 10… His parents wanted him to be active and he had tried soccer, swimming, judo, taekwondo, and baseball but didn’t like any of them… He finally tried fencing, which was like playing pirates with sword fighting, and it was love at first sight… After just a couple of years he already had the Olympic dream… Outside Interests: Enjoys reading, watching Netflix, golfing and playing video games… Works as a coach and marketerfor Vango Fencing, which has the goal to open multiple clubs in China to get resources to open more clubs around the world (Vango means “all nations”)… Earned his degree in Computer Engineering… Supports SickKids Hospital and CAMH Foundation…Odds and Ends: Always listens to simple pop music before competing to take his mind off fencing because the more he thinks, the worse he fences… Favourite motto: “Accept it or change it. Those are the only real options”… Nickname: Cocotte…