For one New Brunswicker, the Olympics are bigger than Christmas

Many Canadians will remember the controversy that surrounded Quebecois artistic swimmer Sylvie Fréchette during the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, when a judge accidentally gave her a lower score than what was deserved, knocking her out of contention for the gold medal.

Mélanie Boudreau, a then wide-eyed 10-year-old girl, was in a grocery store where she saw Fréchette's story plastered in magazines.

Boudreau started reading about her story. She learned that Fréchette's fiancé committed suicide just before the Games, and saw how she graciously accepted the silver, despite the mistake.

Fréchette was later awarded a gold medal in Montreal, but Boudreau's fascination with the swimmer spurred a lifetime passion that now has her rearranging her life for two weeks during each Olympic Games.

"You have to make sure that your meals are prepared … it's not the time to go to the hairdresser, it's not the time to have your car fixed — you have to do it before the Olympics, or after the Olympics," she said.

"You have to get ready for all the emotions that you're going to live during the Games."

For a project at the school where she works, Boudreau made posters about the Olympics, which she reused as decoration. (François Le Blanc/Radio-Canada)

The Olympics are a lifestyle for the Quispamsis woman. She makes videos online where she talks about little things to prepare yourself for the two-week affair. Preparations include having the atmosphere to match.

Boudreau said she has four large storage bins of home decorations for the Olympics — more than she has for Christmas. That part of the journey started in 2010 when the Olympics were held in Vancouver and she decided it needed to be special.

"I could probably decorate two houses," she said.

And Boudreau has the style to boot. She got her nails done for the Paris Games and has been sporting her Paris 2024 T-shirt. After each summer or winter Olympics, she also will buy some of the clothing items sold by the sponsors.

Sylvie Fréchette's experience is what started Boudreau's love of the Olympics. Fréchette, seen here competing in artistic swimming during the 1992 Olympics, was awarded silver due to a judge's error, but later given a gold. (Canadian Press)

When she wears her Canadian team winter jacket to the store, she said it's always a conversation starter.

This summer, Boudreau is specifically interested in seeing the performance of Maude Charron, the second Canadian weightlifter to ever win an Olympic gold medal and one of Canada's Paris 2024 opening ceremony flag bearers.

And while Boudreau has never had the opportunity to see an Olympic Games in person, a trip to Brisbane, Australia, for the 2032 Games for her 50th birthday is at the top of her bucket list.

Boudreau's passion for the Olympics extends to the tips of her fingers. (François Le Blanc/Radio-Canada)

But she did recently take a trip of her dreams to Salt Lake City where she visited the Utah Olympic Park.

"I had goosebumps. I couldn't believe it," she said.

"I had my Paris 2024 shirt on, my nails were done and actually, I went to the cash and I looked at the DVD of the greatest moments. …  I asked the guy, like, 'How much is it?' And he looked at me and he said, 'No, no, just take it.'"

And until Boudreau gets to her first in-person Games, she makes sure to adjust her sleep schedule for whatever time zone the Olympics are in.

Walking into Boudreau's home, it's clear she is passionate about the Olympics. (François Le Blanc/Radio-Canada)

In the winter, this is a bit harder because she's a teacher, but she makes it work.

"I'll get up at [3:45 a.m.] so I can watch the Olympics before I go to work. Or … if it starts at 1 a.m., I'll watch them all night long," she said.

"After two weeks, I get tired, obviously. But during those two weeks, I don't know, I guess I'm on the adrenaline and I don't notice it."

Boudreau will definitely be watching Maude Charron, a Canadian weightlifter seen here with her gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. (Luca Bruno/Associated Press/File)

In her work as a teacher at Samuel-de-Champlain school in Saint John, she has even shared her passion for the Olympics with her students.

For the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, she organized an opening ceremony and events for her students.

She said a local company made medals and the Canadian Olympic Committee sent three huge boxes of stuff for the kids.

Pictured here is some of Boudreau's Vancouver 2010 merchandise. (François Le Blanc/Radio-Canada)

Boudreau said kids of all skill levels were able to participate since the sports weren't real in their interpretations, and she said the non-athletes probably enjoyed the event the most.

"Some of them I still talk to — they graduated years ago — but when we see each other, they see me on Facebook, they're like, 'You know what I remember the most about you? It was the Olympics that you prepared for us."