Parents of the 2010 McDonald's® Hopefuls Blog
Running with the Torch
I’m really pleased and privileged to be able to attend the Vancouver Olympics.... more
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I’m really pleased and privileged to be able to attend the Vancouver Olympics. Practicing sport at the level Charles does is very expensive, and knowing that there are people and organizations who support and believe in these athletes is amazing. It allows them to set aside the financial aspect and focus on their sport.
During the Olympics, I’ve tried to be inconspicuous. I know Charles has to concentrate; he’s not there on vacation. I’ve been attending all of his races, of course, to cheer him on. I’m there if he needs to see me and talk to me, but I’m certainly not in his face. Of course, I like to reassure him and talk with him, but it’s his time and I have to respect the way he experiences it.
After the Olympics, I’ll welcome him with open arms. Regardless of the outcome of these Games, for me, what matters is his happiness. He’ll be needing a well-deserved rest, and I’ll take advantage of it to pamper him so he can spend quality time with the family.
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Life with an Olympic athlete has as many common points as the life of a business person. In both cases, in order to succeed, you need to put in a lot of hard work and adapt your daily grind accordingly. In our case, from the beginning, we deleted the word ‘sacrifice’ from our vocabulary. Supporting Alexandre and Anouk has become our lifestyle. With a lot of coordination, patience, and availability, we developed a way to live.
Alexandre and Anouk both had to train many hours which resulted in a lot of driving between the pool, the ski hill and the house. We also had to consider financial investments. But because we wanted to support our children unconditionally, we always found a way to make it happen.
Nutrition is also an important part of an elite athlete’s life. To perform, Alex has to eat properly. His tool is his body, so he has to take good care of it. It’s also important to have a balanced approach and Alex has always focused on that. He treats himself once in a while, which is so important in order to have a healthy lifestyle.
It does take a lot of investment, but it shouldn’t be discouraging. When your child has talent and you can feel that he puts all his passion into it, you can’t help but support him all the way.
Comments
Hello! I am a grade 10 French immersion high school student in Whitby, Ontario. For our final project we had to pick people important to Quebec’s history or something important in Quebec’s history. I have decided to do my project on your sons Francois and Charles. These blogs are really helpful for my project! Just wanted to let you know, Thank you :) Erika Clarke