Monica Pinette

Who is Monica Pinette?

Monica Pinette is a two-time Olympic modern pentathlete from Canada. She merely described herself as a "true trailblazer" for her demanding sport, being one of the first female Canadian modern pentathletes, and the only athlete of an aboriginal descent to compete at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Pinette started out her sporting career as a member of the Pony Club in Vancouver at the age of twenty, and has excelled in modern pentathlon through her participation in different local clubs for swimming, shooting, fencing, and horse-riding. She made her international debut at the 2002 and 2003 World Championships, and eventually competed at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where she finished seventh. Following her well-accomplished results, Pinette qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, along with her compatriot Kara Grant, and made their national debut in the women's event. With her strongest performance in the fencing segment, Pinette finished successfully in thirteenth place, the highest position being achieved by a Canadian modern pentathlete, male or female, in Olympic history.