This fall, the series Turn, about the post-career of an Olympic athlete, was broadcast on Noovo. Then, on January 22, it was the turn of the documentary I believed in you exposing toxic relationships in the world of sport, to be broadcast on Radio-Canada.
All of this brought me back to my memories.
I have never participated in the Olympics. I have never shone on the international scene. However, at one time, I was an athlete and cross-country skiing was my whole life.
I have known the supreme satisfaction and exaltation of good races, the pleasure of discovering the French Alps and the Rockies, the pleasure of parties end of the season, the pride in my parents’ eyes, the joys of spring skiing, the camaraderie with my teammates.
I also experienced the stress, the pressure, the female dog of not performing, of disappointing, the devastation associated with not being selected for championships that I had trained for for months, the sacrifices, the the feeling of missing out on my adolescence, the fear of being nothing more than an athlete in the eyes of others — and in my eyes.
I experienced all of this when I was still just a child.
I hung up my skis shortly after having the best season of my life. I was 19 then. And life ahead of me.
These days, more and more mental trainers are joining sports teams. This is also the case for physiotherapists, kinesiologists, nutritionists and other professionals. It is a long time ago when coaches had to play all these roles alone, thus protecting athletes from potential abuses of the latter…
Luckily, I was lucky enough to have a great coach, great parents, and a supportive network. I was mostly lucky not to be good enough to become a public figure. So I was able to experience my highs, just like my lows, in almost total anonymity, out of sight.
From February 4 to 20, the 2022 Winter Olympics are taking place in Beijing. Games which, let’s say, will take place against a backdrop of coronavirus and diplomatic boycott…
215 athletes will proudly wear the colors of Canada during the various events of these Games. These 215 athletes will also carry the weight of an entire nation on their shoulders.
Several of them and they probably have the female dog at the time of this writing. The female dog not to perform, to disappoint.
We will certainly applaud those who manage to climb onto the steps of the podium. We will acclaim their courage and talent. But how are we going to react to the defeats of certain others live on our televisions?
Behind every athlete there is a developing young man or woman. A fallible human being who needs unconditional support… and gentleness.
Let’s encourage them. Let’s love them. Let’s welcome their good shots as well as their less good shots with kindness.
I am writing this open letter to these 215 athletes who will represent Canada at the Olympic Games; to those who will succeed in fueling our collective imagination thanks to their prowess, but also to those who will experience darker days.
I am also writing this letter to all those athletes who remained in the shadows, who did not manage to be selected for these Games and for whom life has had a bitter taste ever since.
You shine. You inspire. All and all. As athletes, but also as people. A good life awaits you at the turn of your sports career. Promised.