For most people, returning from maternity leave involves a period of easing back into routines, adjusting schedules and finding balance, but for Lieutenant Theriault, it also meant achieving a platinum score on the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) FORCE test within three days of returning to work.
Despite her remarkable accomplishment, Lt Theriault speaks about it with a quiet humility.
“I don’t normally like to showcase achievements,” she said. “I think they’re better celebrated in private.”
But in sharing her story, she hopes it might encourage others on their own fitness journeys—not through comparison, but by example.
Lt Theriault joined the CAF in 2009 as a dental technician, first posted to CFB Shilo.
Fitness has always been a steady part of her life, from swimming and running in her youth to marathons, CrossFit, and triathlons in her military years.
“Even before joining, I was active,” she explained. “Fitness has always been a constant.”
After years of balancing motherhood, military service and academic study, including completing her degrees, she recently commissioned as a logistics officer through the Special Commissioning Program (SCP).
In March 2025, she returned from maternity leave after the birth of her third child. Just three days later, she completed the FORCE test, earning a platinum score for the first time in her career.
That timeline alone is remarkable, but Lt Theriault remains humble.
“I stayed active throughout my pregnancy,” she said. “Every day since coming home from the hospital, the baby, the dog, and I have gone to the gym.”
While she’s always maintained a gold-level score on the FORCE test, it was the elusive platinum that became her new goal once her studies were complete.
“I reached out to [Fitness and Sports Instructor] Brandon from Personnel Support Programs (PSP) and told him I wanted to aim for platinum this year,” she said.
Brandon built a training plan, which she adapted to target her weakest area: the drag.
“Every year I was about three points away,” she recalled. “It was always the drag that held me back.”
This time, by focusing her training on that specific component, she crossed the threshold. When she finished her final movement and saw Brandon give a thumbs-up and she knew she’d done it.
What drives Lt Theriault isn’t competitiveness or comparison, but consistency.
“I’m not naturally gifted in sports,” Lt Theriault said. “I just don’t quit.”
For her, fitness isn’t about specialization or perfection, but about resilience and balance.
“You don’t have to be the best runner or the strongest lifter. Hybrid fitness and being well-rounded is what I aim for,” she said.
While she doesn’t consider herself a leader in the gym, her example is one of dedication–only competing against herself.
“I never want to push my goals onto others,” she said. “But if someone comes to me for advice, I’ll always share what I can.”
Lt Theriault doesn’t seek recognition, but her journey is one worth celebrating as a reminder of the strength found in discipline and humility.
“Just start,” Lt Theriault said. “Be consistent. You might not get to the top right away, but if you keep at it, you’ll get there.”
