MONTREAL — For the first time in a long time, Benoit Huot is feeling pretty good.
Monday was a “special” day for the paralympic swimmer. As the 31-year-old put it, it marked the end of an eight-month nightmare.
The Longueuil resident got back some precious souvenirs when five of seven paralympic medals, stolen from his St-Lambert home last July, were replaced with replicas.
Despite a vast police investigation and a $2000 reward, the original medals have never surfaced.
READ MORE: Medals stolen from Paralympic swimmer Benoit Huot
One of the medals the crooks made off with was a gold medal from the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games.
“Holding them today brings back memories.”
“I had the best race of my life in 2000,” Huot told Global News.
“I was able to be on top of the podium at 16-years-old.”
The medal ceremony took place at École Joseph-Charbonneau in Montreal’s Villeray district.
The high school is a unique facility that offers support and services for disabled Montrealers.
One student, 15-year-old Philippe Kieu, took part in the event, describing it as a “fantastic experience.”
Former Canadian Paralympic athlete Chantal Petitclerc was also at the ceremony.
“This was an unfortunate and tragic turn in his life,” she said.
“These replicas will hopefully turn something negative into a positive.”
Huot is currently training for the upcoming Pan-Am Games in Toronto and the 2016 Paralympics in Rio-de-Janiero, Brazil.
READ MORE: Road to gold wasn’t easy for Canadian Para-swimmer
The paralympic swimmer’s replica medals will be held in a museum in Richmond, British Columbia.
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