For a New Brunswick resident, the Olympics are more important than Christmas

Many Canadians will remember the controversy that erupted during the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona surrounding Quebec synchronized swimmer Sylvie Fréchette, when a judge inadvertently gave her a lower score than she deserved, knocking her out of contention for the gold medal.

Mélanie Boudreau, a wide-eyed ten-year-old girl at the time, was in a grocery store when she saw Fréchette's story posted in magazines.

Boudreau began reading her story, learned that Fréchette's fiancé had committed suicide shortly before the Games, and saw her gratefully accept the silver despite the mistake.

Fréchette was later awarded a gold medal in Montreal, but Boudreau's fascination with the swimmer sparked a lifelong passion that now leads her to transform her life for two weeks at every Olympic Games.

“You need to make sure your meals are prepared… now is not the time to go to the hairdresser, now is not the time to get your car fixed – you need to do that before or after the Olympics,” she said.

“You have to prepare yourself for all the emotions you will experience during the games.”

For a project at the school where she works, Boudreau made posters about the Olympic Games, which she reused as decoration. (François Le Blanc/Radio-Canada)

For the Quispamsis woman, the Olympics are a way of life. She posts videos online in which she talks about little things that can be done to prepare for the two-week event. Part of the preparations also includes creating the right atmosphere.

Boudreau said she has four large storage boxes of home decorations for the Olympics — more than she has for Christmas. This part of the journey began in 2010 when the Olympics were in Vancouver and she decided it had to be something special.

“I could probably decorate two houses,” she said.

And Boudreau has style, too. She got her nails done for the Paris Games and is wearing her Paris 2024 T-shirt. After the Summer or Winter Olympics, she will also buy some of the clothing items sold by sponsors.

Boudreau's love of the Olympics began with Sylvie Fréchette's experience. Fréchette, seen here in synchronized swimming at the 1992 Olympics, was awarded silver due to a referee error, but later won gold. (Canadian Press)

She said when she wears her Canadian team winter jacket to the store, it is always a topic of conversation.

This summer, Boudreau is particularly interested in watching the performance of Maude Charron, the second Canadian weightlifter to ever win an Olympic gold medal and one of Canada's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

And although Boudreau has never had the opportunity to experience the Olympics in person, a trip to the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia, for her 50th birthday is at the top of her bucket list.

Boudreau's passion for the Olympic Games reaches right down to her fingertips. (François Le Blanc/Radio-Canada)

But recently she took her dream trip to Salt Lake City, where she visited the Utah Olympic Park.

“I had goosebumps. I couldn't believe it,” she said.

“I had my Paris 2024 jersey on, my nails were done and I went to the cash register and watched the DVD of the greatest moments. … I asked the guy, 'How much is it?' And he looked at me and said, 'No, no, just take it.'”

And until Boudreau gets to her first Games in person, she's making sure to adjust her sleep schedule to the time zone in which the Olympics are taking place.

When you enter Boudreau's house, it is clear that she is passionate about the Olympic Games. (François Le Blanc/Radio-Canada)

In the winter it is a little more difficult because she is a teacher, but she manages it.

“I wake up at [3:45 a.m.] so I can watch the Olympics before I go to work. Or … if it starts at 1 a.m., I'll watch it all night long,” she said.

“After two weeks, of course, I get tired. But during those two weeks, I don't know, I think I'm on adrenaline and don't realize it.”

Boudreau will definitely be watching Maude Charron, a Canadian weightlifter, pictured here with her gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. (Luca Bruno/Associated Press/File)

In her work as a teacher at Samuel de Champlain School in Saint John, she has even shared her passion for the Olympics with her students.

For the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, she organized an opening ceremony and events for her students.

She said a local company made medals and the Canadian Olympic Committee sent three huge boxes of things for the children.

Pictured here are some of Boudreau's Vancouver 2010 merchandise. (François Le Blanc/Radio-Canada)

Boudreau said children of all skill levels were able to participate because the sports were not real in their interpretation, and she said the non-athletes probably enjoyed the event the most.

“I still talk to some of them – they graduated years ago – but when we see each other and they see me on Facebook, they say, 'You know what I remember most about you? It was the Olympics that you prepared us for.'”