Francis Roussel Makes a Generous Donation to CDSA

The Canadian Deaf Sports Association (CDSA) is honoured to receive a generous donation of $1,000 from Francis Roussel. His donation will be used to cover Team Canada’s travel expenses for the Summer Deaflympics, to be held in Tokyo, Japan, from November 15 to 26, 2025.

We would like to highlight Francis’s exceptional swimming career, particularly his participation in three Deaflympics:

• 1993: Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria
• 1997: Deaflympics in Copenhagen, Denmark
• 2001: Deaflympics in Rome, Italy

Out of 28 events, he achieved:

• 5 gold medals
• 10 silver medals
• 6 bronze medals
• 3 times a 4th-place finish
• 1 time a 5th-place finish
• 1 time a 6th-place finish

As of October 1, 2024, Francis held 6 Canadian records out of a total of 22 event categories, representing 27% of all swimming events for Deaf and hard of hearing swimmers in Canada. His records include:

• 100 m breaststroke
• 200 m butterfly
• 200 m freestyle
• 400 m freestyle
• 800 m freestyle
• 1500 m freestyle

Induction

On October 16, 2024, Francis Roussel will be officially inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. This recognition celebrates his outstanding career and ongoing dedication to the Deaf and hard of hearing community.