Thieves broke into a locked garage at the house he recently moved to in the Longueuil area of the city last Saturday (July 26) and, along with items such as a television and some home furnishings, several of his medals were taken.

These included at least one of his 19 Paralympic medals, three Commonwealth Games medals and three from the Parapan American Games.

"The other stuff, they're replaceable, but not the medals," said 30-year-old Huot, who is currently in Richmond, British Columbia where he is training with the Canadian national squad in preparation for the Pan Pacific Para-swimming Championships due to take place in Pasadena in California from August 6 to 10.

"It has no [monetary] value attached to it pretty much.

"It's all sentimental and emotional and that's it.

"These are things I want to give to my kids.

"Those medals represent a lifetime of work.

"Hours and hours of work to get them."

Huot is a nine-time Paralympic champion, claiming three golds at Sydney 2000, before going on to bag five in Athens four years later, while he secured one gold at London 2012.

In addition, he also has five silver and five bronze medals from Paralympic Games while he is also seven-time world champion.

Huot is one of the most decorated Canadian Paralympians of all-time ©Getty Images



"It is disgraceful and shameful that a person would steal mementoes such as these," said Swimming Canada chief executive Ahmed El-Awadi.

"Swimming Canada is calling on that person to return the medals, and we ask them to contact the Longueuil police as soon as possible to make arrangements.

"Benoit worked so hard to earn these medals as a representative of Canada.

"The most important part is that they are returned to him."

The Canadian Paralympic Committee's executive director of communications and marketing, Martin Richard, added: "What an unfortunate incident to have happened to one of the most decorated Paralympians of all time.

"These medals symbolise the many years of Benoit's hard work and dedication in the pool as well as the inspiration it brings to future generations.

"We hope that they will be returned to their rightful owner."

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