By winning a point in overtime against the Venezuelian Anriquelis Barrios, Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard became a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Beauchemin-Pinard and her teammate Jessica Klimkait became the first Canadian judokas in history to win an Olympic medal. This accolade came five years after training in a new weight category, a turning point that proved decisive in her judo career.

The Saint-Hubert native first took up judo at the age of 9, when she discovered the sport in a French textbook about Nicolas Gill.

Beauchemin-Pinard enjoyed success in the junior ranks, reaching the national team a few years later. Her breakthrough came in 2014. The following year, she won the first of six consecutive medals at the Pan-American Championships. She also took second place at the Pan-American Games in Toronto. Later that same summer, she achieved a career-best result at the IJF World Championships, finishing fifth.

A silver medal at the 2016 Pan American Championships helped Beauchemin-Pinard secure her ticket to Rio, where she made her Olympic debut in the 57kg class. Following her second-round exit, Catherine decided to switch weight classes. Her efforts over the next few years would earn her a second Olympic Games appearance, thanks in part to her second career Grand Slam gold medal at the Tbilisi meet and her bronze medal in the same event.

Beauchemin-Pinard is completing a bachelor's degree in accounting at UQAM and intends to begin the process of becoming a CPA.