(Zhangjiakou) “I’m just really proud of myself for continuing to persevere through all the hardships that life has thrown at me in the past few years…”
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
After a first participation in the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018, Cendrine Browne would have had every reason to give up cross-country skiing. Post-Olympic depression, concussions, exclusion from the national team, acrimonious conflict with Nordiq Canada’s senior management, loss of funding, infection with COVID-19…
On Saturday, the 28-year-old athlete will however be on the starting line of the 15 km skiathlon at the Beijing Olympics. “It’s one of my favorite races,” said the Quebecer, met on the sidelines of training Wednesday morning at the national center in Zhangjiakou.
At the last World Championships in Germany, she took 23and rank of this event combining 7.5 km in classic and 7.5 km in skating. In PyeongChang, she was ranked 33and.
“I arrive here by putting less pressure on myself, warned the native of Prévost, in the Laurentians. I know what to expect, I know how dizzying the Games can be. There’s a lot going on, a lot of distractions. I am more relaxed. Also, I have a lot more World Cup experience. »
I know what I’m capable of, I know the skiers, I can’t wait to see what it will be like in a few days.
Cendrine Browne
Dropped from the national team in 2019, Browne attempted to be reinstated on appeal claiming depression and questioning the selection process. The referee proved him wrong all along the line, not without having soaped the Canadian federation for its poor respect for French in official documents.
“At that time, mental health was not really put in the foreground, pleaded the cross-country skier three years later. We talk about it a lot more now and we have put in place measures to help athletes. At the time, it was not as recognized. […] Me, I had spoken about it and I had expressed myself on the subject. »
Misadventures
In the summer of 2019, the cross-country skier suffered a severe concussion after a fall while roller skiing during a training camp in Mont-Tremblant. “I was arrested for two and a half months. I was bedridden and the ceiling was spinning. It was really difficult. »
Browne suffered two recurrences of that initial concussion after falls in training in the following two years.
Deprived of funding from Sport Canada, Browne nevertheless played the 2019-2020 season on her own, limiting travel to Europe. The pandemic ended it prematurely, forcing the cancellation of six races scheduled in North America. Short of events to hope to qualify for the team, she had another battle with Nordiq Canada, whose highest leader ended up resigning.
In the fall of 2020, Browne was infected with COVID-19 like several teammates at the Pierre-Harvey National Training Center. These misadventures did not prevent her from having her best campaign, which allowed her to return to the Canadian team with full rights.
To her surprise, this distance racing specialist secured her place in Beijing by winning the individual sprint qualifications in Canmore in early January. This will earn him the opportunity to compete in the Olympics.
Now she just wants to enjoy her Beijing fortnight. “It was not easy, but I was very well supported. I knew how to persevere through all the challenges. Being here is just a big bonus after what I managed to overcome. I want to enjoy the Games without putting pressure on myself. It’s really the candy after the last four years. »
An inspiration for the next generation of women
Not only is Cendrine Browne resilient, but she is also committed to helping the next generation. With her friend Laura Leclair, who also qualified for Beijing, she set up Féminaction, an initiative aimed at improving female representation in cross-country skiing. Over a period of one year, Browne and Leclair will monitor and mentor a group of 16 cross-country skiers aged 13 to 15. They also visited some 150 cross-country skiers in clubs across Quebec. Another part of the program is an introduction to coaching intended for women. “Being two Olympians gives us even more notoriety,” said Browne. It will help us further. I think I can inspire many by showing them my journey and the fact that I haven’t given up. »