Pierre-Luc Pérusse
Pierre-Luc Pérusse absolutely wanted to get his black t-shirt emblematic of success at the Norseman, an extreme triathlon held in Norway.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY PIERRE-LUC PÉRUSSE
36 years old – Boischatel
Father of two boys and vice-president of consulting service firm Alithya
· Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2023
For what?
“I’m a guy who embraces any challenge. But this one scared me particularly because of the cold and the difference in altitude.”
When his son found out that his father was preparing for the extreme Norseman triathlon and that he would not bring back a scholarship or medal of success, but rather a sweater, he told him: “we are going to have it printed for you, your t-shirt, if that’s all.”
For Pierre-Luc Pérusse, a fan of endurance events, the Norseman is more than the memory of a white or black sweater depending on the final time at the finish line.
The extreme event in Norway, a 3.8 km swim in a fjord, 180 km bike ride and 42.2 km run in the Scandinavian mountainous countryside, represented the fear of cold water and the staggering height difference. positive of almost 5200 meters on the route at the mercy of bad weather.
But it was also an event that he wanted to add to his “bucket list” of the best competitions to take part in.
“Usually, I would take on any challenge, except that the Norseman was the one that scared me the most. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. It was sick. I wondered if I could succeed or do it correctly,” says the father and company vice-president.
Pierre-Luc Pérusse absolutely wanted to get his black t-shirt emblematic of success at the Norseman, an extreme triathlon held in Norway. In this photo, the Quebecer does not take a break on the 180 km bike ride to eat his slice of pizza.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY PIERRE-LUC PÉRUSSE
Incomparable
A good swimmer, a good cyclist and a good runner, he had participated in Ironman, marathons and Olympic triathlons before embarking on the stupid Norwegian adventure.
“The Norseman is by far the most difficult. There is nothing comparable,” certifies the one who stopped the clock at 3:18 p.m. He made it to the end of “Zombie Hill”, at the top of Mount Gaustad, to cross the finish line before the dangerously brewing storm stopped the race.
A citizen of Boischatel, in the county of Côte-de-Beaupré, he trained on the hills of his region and those of Charlevoix. All the same, a very beautiful and good playground.
Reading between the lines of his captivating story, we understand that it is, however, small beer!
Pierre-Luc Pérusse is a regular at triathlon events. In this photo, the Quebecer pedals during the Canadaman.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY PIERRE-LUC PÉRUSSE
“To match the route of the Norseman on which we ride and run on slopes of up to 14 degrees of inclination, we must stick the relief of our region five to seven times end to end,” he assesses.
A testimony rhyming with that of Bianca Drolet, who was one of the many representatives of the unifoliate and fleurdelysé at the 2023 edition with Pérusse.
“It’s almost criminal to have thought of organizing a race there,” he added jokingly. I understood the game I was really getting myself into as soon as I saw the first ascent of a mountain by bike.”
Frozen like an ice cube
Among the highlights of his adventure, Pérusse recounts having opened the machine at the foot of “Zombie Hill”, the slope of which is close to 14%, a few kilometers from the finish.
“You get there, it’s hot and you’re hot. You think that certain portions you will have to do on foot because it is so steep. I was close to 160e rank and I wanted to get my black t-shirt,” he says with passion.
This black sweater is the emblem of a successful course awarded to those in the top 160. You should know that the world elite participates in this race which is also open to lucky enthusiasts who are drawn at random. Pérusse was one of them.
“Seven kilometers from the finish, when the relief and landscape had changed, I told myself that I absolutely had to run. I was the only idiot in shorts and a wet t-shirt. With the storm building, everyone had put on their protective gear. I was frozen.
“I still made it to the end,” he continues with pride. I touched the barrier and got confirmation that I was getting my black t-shirt 10 minutes early. I was almost hypothermic.”
Pierre-Luc Pérusse absolutely wanted to get his black t-shirt emblematic of success at the Norseman, an extreme triathlon held in Norway. In this photo, the Quebecer is waiting for the starting signal on the boat.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY PIERRE-LUC PÉRUSSE
Beautiful symbol
Every day, his son can contemplate, like him, this famous black t-shirt, synonymous with success. The father displayed it in a frame on a wall of the house.
Pierre-Luc Pérusse absolutely wanted to get his black t-shirt emblematic of success at the Norseman, an extreme triathlon held in Norway. He got it and displayed it well at home.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY PIERRE-LUC PÉRUSSE
Reflecting on this extraordinary adventure, Pérusse believes that it made him feel alive in addition to having forced him to dig deep within himself to extract the last vapors of energy.
“It’s a feeling of accomplishment and extreme pride, regardless of your final rank,” he assures.
With the Norseman checked off his list, he considers his next challenge, which “doesn’t have to be extreme.”
The Enduroman, the Marathon des Sables and the Barkley Marathons appear there. However, they are all categorized among the most difficult in the world.
No doubt the Norseman redefines the categories when we come back to the black t-shirt.