Joseph Polossifakis returns to the school that lit his Olympic fire

Get to know Quebec's athletes heading to the Olympic Games in Rio this summer. Here's the second inour series of profiles on our local athletes as they get ready to compete.

Joseph Polossifakis's athletic success started early at Socrates elementary school.

He wasthe champion athlete in his class every year andwon an awardfor the strongest student in physical education when he graduated.

The 25-year-old Montrealerhas since racked up medals in the Pan American Games and will compete for Canada in fencing at the Olympic Games in Rio this August.

Polossifakis is fondly remembered by his formergymteacher, Chris Adamopoulos.

"From a very young age, Joseph had this sparkle in his eyeswhen he was coming down into the gym," says Adamopoulos, who is now the school's director general. "We're extremely, extremely proud of him."

He began fencing when he was 12-years-old and dreamed of representing Canada at the Olympicsafter seeing a member of his fencing club compete inAthens in 2004.

Polossifakisis the first graduate of Montreal's Greek school to qualify for the Olympics.

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Healmost missed the chance, recovering from a concussion just in time for the Olympicqualification process in April 2015.

Daybreak Montreal6:38Fencer Joseph Polossifakis returns to his Greek elementary school to talk to students

Joseph Polossifakis was an accomplished athlete during his time at Socrates Elementary. He returned 15 years later as an Olympic athlete bound for Rio.

Polossifakis has also had to battle through back, ankleand knee injuries over the last twoyears. But he looks as if he's in fine form heading into Rio, winning a pair ofsilver medals at the Pan Am games in Toronto last summer.

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