“It’s heavy, all the same! »
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
Juliette is 12 years old, but looks at most 9. She is wearing a t-shirt on which you can read a message that is appropriate on this very special day at the Dominique-Savio rehabilitation center. Dream Big, can we read in big pink letters. Juliette shakes her ponytail, her eyes widen in disbelief. In her small hand, a golden disc, raw and massive, that few people have the chance to touch in their life.
An Olympic gold medal.
This medal is that of Mikaël Kingsbury, the freestyle skier that all of Quebec knows. He won it in PyeongChang in 2018. In this sad cafeteria where around fifty children are gathered, there is an impressive display of medals on the table. Those of Kingsbury, and also those of Kim Boutin, short track skater, also Olympian many times decorated. Among the sum of awards is also one of the 21 crystal globes won by Kingsbury on the – numerous – World Cup courses in which he participated.
From the small screen to real life
From the Dominique-Savio-Mainbourg centre, where she has been staying for three years, little Juliette followed the last Olympic Games on TV. Like all young people housed by the Department of Youth Protection (DPJ) in a rehabilitation center, the last two years have not been easy for her.
“We have been confined for two years, with young people who mainly live in their units. Today, everyone was moved to see the young people gathered for the first time for an event,” summarizes Sophie Gagné, the educator in charge of arts and culture at the centre.
That’s why this visit by two Olympians, organized by the DPJ Youth Foundation, is so special today. The youngest in attendance is five and a half. He put on a nice plaid shirt for the visit. The oldest are 17 years old and sport the typical adolescent pout. Nevertheless, they are all clearly captivated by the stories of Boutin and Kingsbury. The questions flow.
How did you do pirouettes in the air? An extremely relevant question from Kevin, who, as you can imagine, is not really called Kevin, but who is really 7 years old. “I imagine that you have physical education lessons, replies Mikaël Kingsbury. When I was your age, I started doing flips on a trampoline, and then on jumps where you end up in the water, then in the snow. But it’s been a lot of practice since I was young. »
Have you ever doubted your abilities? Hell, yet another good question, this time from Ramón. Mikaël Kingsbury talks about his return to his sport after a back injury. “I wondered if I would be able to get back to where I was before. »
Kim Boutin, she admits to having often doubted. Anxiety inhabits her constantly, before each race, she confided to the young people. She also consults a psychologist to control this very personal demon.
“Since I was little, I’ve been afraid to go fast. And now I have become the fastest woman in the world in my sport,” says Boutin. In 2019, the skater indeed crossed the distance of 500 meters in less than 42 seconds, a world record. Hearing this, the children clapped very loudly. Because they may be only 6, 10 or 15 years old, these children know very well what it is to cross an obstacle course.
From small to big goals
The Olympics as an allegory of life? Maybe that’s what they thought when they heard Mikaël Kingsbury explain to them how he ended up reaching the summit he first dreamed of when he was 10 years old, listening to his first Olympic Games.
I set myself lots of small goals and one big goal, which often seems unattainable. But by achieving my small goals, I end up achieving the big one.
Mikaël Kingsbury, freestyle skier
For Juliette, Kevin, Ramón and the others, who live in a dozen living units, where the bedrooms are minimalist and where there is a retreat room for children in crisis, the main objective is probably to learn to live while dragging sometimes very heavy luggage.
“Can I put it on my neck?” »
Juliette carefully passed the wide ribbon around her neck. She released her ponytail and straightened proudly. The big medal fit below his waist. And his smile was worth all the gold in the world.
The Foundation everywhere in Quebec
The DPJ Youth Foundation, which previously concentrated its action in Montreal, recently opened up to all establishments that house DPJ youth across Quebec. The organization is currently calling for applications for projects to be funded. Donations collected by the public can help pay for activities, scholarships, the practice of a sport or even the transition to independent living. It is possible to obtain information or make a donation online.