Cendrine Browne was so determined that even a 16and place at the Beijing Olympics did not change his mind: the 2021-2022 season is his last in cross-country skiing.
And the 28-year-old cross-country skier couldn’t have hoped for a better last season. ” It’s difficult [d’arrêter], because I had the best results of my career this season, explained the young woman by videoconference on Wednesday. I could have done another season, but knowing that it was the last, I really gave everything I had. »
“I don’t really have the energy to embark on another season. I feel fulfilled with what I managed to do. I’m happy to have stopped at the top: that’s what I always wanted to do, stop before starting to decline. Who knows how one more year would have gone? It is important for me in order to have beautiful memories for all my life”, she mentioned.
This 16and place in the 30 km freestyle on the grueling course of Zhangjiakou, at an altitude of more than 1650 m, as well as the ninth place in the 4 x 5 km relay obtained with her teammates from the Canadian team will certainly be part of her precious memories. . “A 16and place at the Games, I had never dreamed of doing that! she admitted. However, his trainer, Louis Bouchard, had predicted a top-20 at his second Olympics, after those of Pyeongchang, four years earlier. He had also suggested to him, at the start of the season, to leave a door open for the continuation of his career.
“I was thinking that extraordinary results might make me change my mind. […] What happened was the perfect scenario for me, she said. I didn’t want to risk having any disappointments after the extraordinary year I had. I didn’t want to be bitter about cross-country skiing. I wanted my sport to remain special to me. By ending like this, he will always remain beautiful and important in my heart. »
“Giving back to the next generation”
“I’m ready to give back to the next generation,” she says. And that’s what Browne, who is in the process of completing a bachelor’s degree in sports intervention at Laval University, after obtaining a certificate in business management at HEC and another in communications, is about to do. She hopes to remain involved in cross-country skiing in one way or another, whether in the management of events or with organizations. A position with the Canadian Olympic Committee could also interest him.
The Saint-Jérôme resident will also remain involved in the Féminaction program, founded with her teammate Laura Leclair. This program aims to promote cross-country skiing among teenage girls aged 13 to 16. “It was important for me not to put all my eggs in one basket, not to put all my energy into skiing. Promoting healthy lifestyles, balance, staying in school and giving back to the community are values that I hold dear. Being a balanced person like that prepared me better for my post-career. Since I had something else in my life, I don’t feel empty or lost,” Browne summed up.
Perseverance
The latter is proud of the legacy she will leave to the next generation of cross-country skiers, even if she sometimes had to fight hard against Nordiq Canada in order to keep her place on the national team.
“It has been a long time since a woman has made her mark on the international scene. I hope to have paved the way for them, and to have allowed them to dream. I showed that there were places for women in cross-country skiing, and I think that’s big. There was no clear path for me. I felt lost when I started, and it took a while for me to break through. I think that for the next generation it will be less difficult. I’m proud of that,” she said.
“If I had not lived [mon affrontement avec Nordiq Canada], I would not be the woman I am today. When the federation stops believing in you and always questions your value as an athlete, it’s difficult, she added. You’ve got to believe in yourself. This is what I had to prove on the field, but I also worked very hard in sports psychology in order to recognize my value. I’m glad I persevered. I managed to prove that I was right with my performances and no one can take that away from me. »
“You should never allow yourself to be walked all over. You have to keep believing in yourself and having big dreams,” concluded Browne.