SPORTS
From Issue #34
Faze Exclusive
Joannie Rochette
Living the Olympic Dream (and Skating into our Hearts)
By Shannon Clarke, 18
For so many Canadians, hockey teams and skating
lessons are staples of a typical childhood. And
few kids make up their minds that they’re going
to realize their dream of competing in the Olympics.
But for Joannie Rochette, deciding to get serious
about becoming an Olympic champion happened when
most kids were still packing their Saturdays with
every possible extracurricular offered to them.
She recalls, “I saw the Olympic games on TV and I
thought ‘I want to be there someday.’”
At 22 months, Joannie had taken her first steps
onto the ice; by eight years old, mesmerized by the music,
choreography and jumps of the Olympians, Joannie decided
her future lay with figure skating.
Today Joannie is a five-time Canadian champion, an
eight-time medalist in individual ISU Grand Prix competitions
and a 2009 World silver medalist. With these and
more career highlights, competing in the Vancouver 2010
Winter Games should seem like a cinch. But for Joannie,
who once hated to compete at home, “it’s the opportunity
of a lifetime.”
For the 2010 Canadian team, winning a gold
medal in Vancouver would be one for the history books—
Canada has yet to win a gold medal on home soil. “Every
athlete can have the Olympics, but not everyone can have
it in Canada. So [the Canadian team is] special.”
Joannie calls herself lucky; lucky to have a career as
a figure skater, lucky to be spending New Year’s and
Christmas in Europe competing and lucky to be skating
for gold. However, she acknowledges that her devotion to
skating has come with some sacrifices. Squeezing training
and practice in between school and studying has become
almost second nature; school dances and outings with
friends have often had to wait.
But as frustrating as it may have been to say “no” to
normal teen rituals, Joannie hardly sees them as sacrifices.
She credits her family for keeping her focused, especially
her mother. “I think it was important to have a little bit of
pushing from my parents…why would I keep going to the
ice rink and keep falling on my butt 15 times a day?
You need to have someone there to keep you motivated.”
Backed by an incredible support system and with all
those medals to her name, the 22-year-old skating
champ’s efforts have paid off.
Beyond skating and training, Joannie sees the Olympics
as more than just another competition; every trip to
the Games is an opportunity to meet fellow skaters and
athletes with the same dreams and goals. From meeting
Wayne Gretzky to hanging out with the Ottawa Senators,
Rochette enjoys the camaraderie of the Games as much
as the thrill of competing. She intends to be in Vancouver
from start to finish, including at the opening ceremonies
where the world will be watching.
And, of course, Joannie appreciates the millions of
Canadian fans who will be watching, waiting in the stands
for a gold medal from the national team. “The way I like
to think of it is all those Canadian fans are cheering for
me…nobody wants to see you fall, they all want good
things for you.”
While she’s not sure what her future will look like,
Joannie says she will focus on getting better, garnering
some staying power and enjoying the experience. “It’s
exciting to have people come to you and say ‘You can win
a medal’ and ‘Go for it.’ It’s just a dream and the perfect
timing for me and my career.”
From shuffling around
neighbourhood ice rinks to competing on the world stage,
Joannie has proven, with enough determination,
no dream is out of reach.
