User:Danlabb/Francis levine-croteau

Francis Levine-Croteau is born on July 11th 1994. His story is unique and out of the ordinary, as the Sainte-Julie resident lives with a number of challenges on a daily basis: autism, scoliosis, major sleep disorders, and more. Despite these challenges, he shows great perseverance and is fully committed to his passions. He doesn't hesitate to volunteer in the organizations he comes into contact with, which provides him with a great source of learning and a springboard to pursue his interests.

From an early age, Francis was one of the elite junior bowlers, collecting 5 out of 5 medals at the 2009 provincial junior championships and racking up appearances on TQS, TVRS and RDS in the process. Fascinated by the lights and illumination of the television set, he became involved with Télévision Rive-Sud (TVRS) at the age of 18, first as a volunteer cameraman, switchman and director, then leading to professional contracts as a cameraman. More recently, from his own home studio, he hosts his TV concept “On mise sur les différences”, a series in which he interviews public figures such as Mathieu Gratton and Charles Lafortune about the challenges faced by their autistic children.

However, television isn't Francis' only interest, as he gets involved in LAN (Local Area Network) events, from on-stage hosting to interviews (La console qui console). He even designed his own LAN tournament in Boucherville (room rental, tickets, broadcast, etc.). You won't be surprised to learn that he even holds a “Grand Champion” rank in Rocket League.

Francis is also a great putting enthusiast. The short game is his great strength, as he has maintained an average of 1.6 to 1.9 putts per hole over the last 3 years (according to Golf Canada). Francis has been able to achieve these results by developing a unique style that enables him to play despite his scoliosis, a style that gets a lot of people talking, but which allows him to be consistent despite his physical limitations.

Since the summer of 2021, Francis has been a regular player at Mini-putt tournaments across the province. At these tournaments, he carries his mascot named T-Bird in his left pocket, a lucky bird whose buttons activate sound clips such as Serge Vleminckx's iconic ″biiiirdie″. These sound encouragements heighten the importance of the moment and help Francis maintain his focus. Indeed, in his first full season on the tour in 2022, he won “La Coupe d’Été” in a 10-player knock-out final, the same formula used in TV finals. In 2023, he also finished 3rd in the outdoor putting grand final at Génération Golf in Mirabel, finishing 2nd in the season's cumulative points total.

As a culmination point, Francis will travel to Scottsdale, Arizona in November, where he will represent the province of Quebec in two tournaments. This trip to Arizona will mark an important milestone in his passion for putting and in his life, as it will be his very first trip outside the country.