Screams, moans, and sometimes even tears: marathon runner and massage therapist Jacqueline Gareau has developed an unusual massage technique that appeals to a handful of devotees.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
“This morning there was a guy screaming – you could hear him even in the shop. »
It was with these words that an employee of the Endurance store greeted the author of these lines on a recent winter afternoon.
We had an appointment with Jacqueline Gareau. Every Thursday, the Quebec massage therapist and marathon runner sets up her portable table in a small room at the back of this sports shop on rue Saint-Denis, in Montreal. Once the client is in bed, Jacqueline plays relaxing music on a small Bluetooth speaker, takes out her bottle of massage oil and gets to work.
The Press was able to live (or should we say survive?) 2 sessions of 90 minutes with Jacqueline Gareau. Let’s say that the experience is unique: our brain knows that the 69-year-old woman massaging us is small and weighs less than 45 kg, but our body is convinced that she is being assaulted by a sumo wrestler.
You would swear to see stars when Jacqueline pushes an elbow somewhere near our shoulder blade in order to “unblock our energies”. Activated by his expert hands, pressure points that we didn’t know existed a second before are catapulted to the forefront of our consciousness and make us feel a whole range of vivid sensations.
In our case, the session did not provoke cries or tears, but above all bursts of laughter. Amateur runner, it’s lying on the table that we suddenly realize that running is the easy part – the real test is the massage.
Dissatisfied
Jacqueline Gareau started running at the age of 21 with the aim of quitting smoking. A trained respiratory therapist, she quickly realized that she had a knack for running for a long time. “I had endorphins, and it put me in a good mood, so I liked it,” she says.
Jacqueline won the Ottawa Marathon in 1979. She also won the Boston Marathon the following year, a race that made headlines because an imposter emerged from the crowd to cross the finish line before Jacqueline – the fraud was quickly identified, and Jacqueline received her prize in the following days. She also won the Los Angeles Marathon and participated in the 1984 Olympics, where cramps and pain prevented her from finishing the race.
PHOTO ARCHIVES UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Jacqueline Gareau symbolically crosses the finish line ribbon of the Boston Marathon in 1980.
After working for a running apparel company and owning outdoor boutiques with her husband Gilles Lapierre, Jacqueline took massage therapy classes and became a massage therapist in 2005.
“When I was an athlete, I was dissatisfied with massages. I wanted them to relax me more, but it was too limited… I told myself, when I’m going to be a massage therapist, I’m going to help people unlock what needs to be unlocked. »
Initially, Jacqueline worked in spas, where her techniques caused a stir.
I had my color, and not everyone liked it… Often people who go to the spa, they think that the massage will not be too strong, but I was going there, and it surprised them, some were more or less satisfied.
Jacqueline Gareau, marathon runner and massage therapist
She says she has since adapted her practice, even if it remains very intense.
“As a marathon runner, I often give it my all and I want to go all the way. I know how to adapt. I look at the client in front of me and say to myself, take it easy. »
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Jacqueline Gareau
Pierre Léveillé, owner of the Endurance boutique, who participated in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles as an athlete in the 400m hurdles, has known Jacqueline Gareau since that time.
With Jacqueline, it’s a bit like the concept no bread, no gain [pas de douleur, pas de gains]. Me, I’m no longer able: she gives me a massage of 10, 15 minutes, and that’s enough. But it has made its mark, and there are returning regulars.
Pierre Léveillé, owner of the Endurance store
In addition to coming to Montreal to massage her clients at the Endurance boutique, Jacqueline does massages at home, and at home, in the Sainte-Adèle region, where she lives. He sometimes massages children – the massages last 15 minutes – and also elderly people.
“My oldest client is 87 years old. He says my massages make him feel good. Sometimes I like to think I’m a renovator, for the energy, and also for the body. »
Sometimes Jacqueline does 5 90-minute massages in the same day – and the last massage is as energetic as the first.
“I think I’m passionate. I love what I do, so it gives me the energy to keep going. »