No matter the time, day or night, if Canada’s women’s water polo team is in the pool, the Bekhazi family is watching cheering on daughter Joelle Bekhazi.
Friends and family crowd around the television, decked out in team Canada jerseys.
Red and white maple leaf flags, draped all around the house, transform the Pointe-Claire home into a viewing party.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We have been waiting for this for a long time,” mother Diane Bekhazi said.
The proud bunch having been following Joelle’s journey to the Olympics since she first started swimming.
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Joelle made a splash in the sport of water polo at 12 years old, getting her start in local West Island pools in Pointe-Claire and DDO.
She joined the junior national team at age 16, going on to compete at the 2005 and 2007 world junior championships.
As a senior, she carried Canada to a silver finish at the 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 Pan American Games.
Finally, after 16 years, this is the first time Bekhazi has been to the Olympics, holding off retirement for the chance at living her dream of competing at the highest level in sport — an astonishing moment for the family.
“It’s easy to be proud of her. At the end of the day she should be proud of herself for what she has done,” father Michel Bekhazi said.
“Dedication and discipline, that’s what she represents.”
The women’s team is struggling to stay afloat in the competition, winless after two games, suffering close, hard-fought losses to Australia and Spain in Groupe A.
“It’s frustrating. It’s not the result we wanted,” Joelle said. “At least we gave you guys a show.”
Win or lose, her family says she has persevered to get this far with impressive feats outside of the pool, graduating from the University of South California in biological science and completing a master’s in physiology at McGill University.
“She is a role model for young women who really want to chase their dream with sport because she is the proof that it can happen,” cousin Marie Josée Yammine said.
Bekhazi and the team will look to their next matchup against South Africa on Wednesday.
Diane says the family has already set their alarms for the 2:30 a.m. start to help cheer on the team to victory.
“Just play, girls, just play. “
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