Nicolas Gill
CEO
The Montreal native is the most prolific judoka in Canadian judo history, Nicolas won two Olympic medals and three World Championship medals. He competed in four Olympic Games and was the flag bearer for the Canadian delegation at the opening ceremony of the Athens Games, in 2004. After retiring as an athlete in 2005, Nicolas chose to dedicate himself to the development of high-level judokas. He has been National Team Coach starting in 2005 and performed the dual functions of High Performance Program Director for Judo Canada as well as National Team Head Coach from 2009 to 2016. Since 2016 Nicolas has taken on new challenges within the Canadian judo federation as CEO, although he continues to perform the functions of the HPD.
Patrick Esparbès
COO
After a career as an athlete, during which he was a national team member for a few years, Patrick was involved in judo on several levels. He served as technical director and head coach of Alma Seiko Judo Club for four years and then became CEO of Judo Québec for 12 years. He is a certified dojo instructor level 3 and joined Judo Canada in 2016 after four years at the head of Soccer Québec.
Marie-Hélène Chisholm
High Performance Manager
National Team member for nearly 14 years, Marie-Hélène was a very successful competitor. She placed 5th at the Athens Olympic Games, which was the best female result in the history of Canadian judo at the time. The following year she also placed 5th at the 2005 World Championships in Egypt. Marie-Hélène is a certified NCCP level 5 judo instructor. After retiring from competing, she worked at Judo Québec as a provincial coach from 2008 to 2009. She joined Judo Canada in 2009 as the Assistant Coach of the women’s national team. Marie-Hélène kept that position until 2013 and then pursued other opportunities as Judo Canada High Performance Manager. She is also the founder and the chair of the Judo Canada Gender Equity Committee.
Émilie-Claude Leroux
Communication Coordinator
Former national team member and former national champion, Émilie-Claude has been involved in judo on several levels over the years. She is a former club instructor and a member of the Judo Canada Gender Equity Committee since 2013. She joined Judo Canada in 2015, her role with the organisation has change over the years and since December 2021 she has become the Communication Coordinator.
Franck Moussima
Sport Development Coordinator
Franck is a former Cameroonian Olympic athlete (2004 and 2008), two-time African Champion and silver medalist at the University Games in 2007. He has held numerous national coaching positions in Cameroon, Swaziland and Botswana under the auspices of the IJF. He is also an IJF Academy expert since 2015 specifically in coach training and evaluation seminars.
Danielle Boulanger
Grading & Member Services Manager
Danielle has extensive professional experience in project/program and event management. She is currently President and coach at the Vainqueurs Plus track and field club from September 2013 until August 2025. Danielle was a Volunteer Coordinator for a multitude of major sporting events, including the 2019 Montreal Grand Prix. She is a dedicated leader with a strong background in the Canadian sport industry, committee leadership, logistics and team management.
James Cunningham
Manager of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP)
James brings extensive experience across multiple sports at both provincial and national levels and currently serves as the Executive Director at Judo Ontario. His previous roles include coaching Nordic skiing, working as an NCCP learning facilitator and coach evaluator, and supporting athletes and coaches in high-performance programs at Athletics Canada and the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario. Additionally, James has attended three Olympic Games as part of the Team Canada mission staff.
Antoine Valois-Fortier
High Performance Director and Head Coach
Antoine started practising judo at the age of four at the Club de judo de Beauport. His parents thought the sport would be a healthy outlet for their son’s boundless energy, but they didn’t expect it to become Antoine’s greatest passion. In 2008, Antoine moved to Montreal to train at the Shidokan Judo Club (former Judo Canada National Training Centre). It was during the 2012 London Olympic Games, where he won a bronze medal, that the world got to know Antoine’s exceptional talent. In 2014, Antoine Valois-Fortier won his first medal, silver, at the World Championships, followed by two bronze medals in 2015 and 2019. Along with his athletic career, Antoine graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Intervention in Physical Activity from the Université du Québec à Montréal and a Specialized Graduate Diploma in Sport Management from HEC Montréal. In December 2021, at 31 years old and after a remarkable career of more than 12 years on the national team, Antoine retired from competition. In January 2022 Antoine joined Judo Canada as the Senior National Coach and became Head Coach in 2023.
Antoine Bouchard
Junior/U23 Assistant National Coach
Antoine Bouchard, from Jonquière, Quebec, had a prolific judo career. His highlights include a 5th-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, three Pan American Championship titles, two Grand Prix bronze medals, and a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. Antoine has also demonstrated academic excellence. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry (Honors) from UQAM in 2021, began a Master’s program in Biochemistry in 2020, and transitioned directly to a PhD program at UQAM in 2022. Additionally, he completed the Advanced Coaching Diploma (ACD) in 2024. Since the fall of 2023, Antoine has continued to contribute to the growth of judo in Canada, leveraging his experience and expertise to mentor the next generation of athletes in his role as Interim Junior/U23 Assistant National Coach.
Janusz Pawłowski
Assistant National Coach
Janusz Pawlowski was born in Sopot, Poland. The former Polish national team member attained remarkable success in his judo career, fighting in the under 65 kg category. Throughout his career, he was six-time Polish national champion, won three European Championship medals, was two-time Olympic medallist and won three World Championship medals. Janusz holds a master’s degree from the Academy of Physical Education in Gdansk, Poland, with a specialization in Judo Coaching. Since 1991, Janusz has been training athletes from various backgrounds and from different countries. Janusz is also fluent in five languages. He lived in Poland, Kuwait, Slovenia, and Italy before arriving in Canada in 2014, where he holds the position of Assistant National Coach at Judo Canada National Training Centre in Montreal.
Nicolas Thébault
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Nicolas Thébault holds a Master's degree in Sports Performance from the Université de Pau (France) and Master's degree in Human Kinetics from the Université de Montréal (Canada). With over 15 years' experience in physical preparation in high-level sport in Canada, he has held the position of physical trainer for the Canadian national judo team since 2015. From 2018 to early 2025, he was also physical trainer for the national fencing team at INS Québec. A martial arts and combat sports enthusiast, he combines expertise and passion to help athletes achieve
excellence.
Juliette Gallant
National Team Therapist and Chief Medical Officer of the IST (Head Therapist)
Juliette holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a master’s degree in athletic therapy, with a specialization in concussion management. She has worked in various sport environments and has been involved in several major events, including the Montréal Marathon, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Cycliste, the 2024 Athletics Olympic Trials, as well as multiple ISU Short Track World Cups. She has also collaborated with the Montréal Alouettes, UQAM, and Collège André-Grasset. A former triathlete and competitor at the 2019 Triathlon World Championship, Juliette now brings her experience to Judo Canada’s athletes, supporting them in progressing safely and performing at their best.
Erika Miranda
Junior/U23 Assistant National Coach
Erika Miranda Souza is a former Brazilian Olympian and World Championship medallist. Competing in the under-52 kg category, she achieved outstanding international success, earning five World Championship medals, including silver in 2013, and capturing four Grand Slam titles. She is a four-time Pan-American champion, gold medalist at the 2015 Pan-American Games, and a two-time Olympian (2012 and 2016), placing fifth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Since beginning her coaching career in 2022, she has gained valuable experience working with both senior and developing athletes in Germany and Brazil. Now based in Canada, she is dedicated to supporting the growth of young judokas, bringing her international expertise, athlete-centered philosophy, and passion for excellence to the national program.
Yohan Van Langendonck
Communications Advisor and Content Producer
Having practised judo since childhood, Yohan has a strong understanding of the realities of our sport. Passionate about media, sport and digital communications, he has worked in sports communications since 2018 and will bring solid expertise in content creation, social media management and the development of communication strategies. Prior to joining Judo Canada, Yohan spent three years with the Montreal Canadiens’ marketing team, where he contributed to various projects related to communications, media and brand promotion.