My family of sponsors

It is now the triathlon new year for me. Time to celebrate 2009 and dream about 2010!
This year has been one of the luckiest years of my life. I had gone through hard times at the end of last year and had decided to make changes in my life and to find a coach and start focusing more on triathlon (something I had always wanted to do). Finding a coach had always been a challenge, many people have helped me very much along the way and I am very thankful but I had to find a committed, personal coach that shared my dream.
Last year,I had a podium in Newfoundland 70.3, followed by a frustrating sixth place in Boise in which I was beat to the finish line by one second. At that race, I promised myself I would come back and do better the next year. Coincidentaly, it was also at that race that I met Bruce Regensburg and Dan Smith from Lifesport almost and started talking about coaching. I contacted them several times. Just after Christmas, I got a call from Paul Regensburg from Lifesport and got invited to a training camp in Victoria.
And here I was, invited to join them in a few days in the canadian triathlon Mecca!
Exciting plan for the new year? They didn't need to insist. I was on the plane on January first. On my way to a first GREAT adventure!!
A homestay was arranged for me. (the people that now feel like family in Victoria) and I headed into training very fast. I was smiling on the plane..and little did I know...I WAS GOING TO BE IN FOR IT!!!! LIFESPORT BOOT CAMP NUMBER 1. HERE I COME!!!! (Poor innocent me!!! hehehe....)
I arrived in an environment every triathlete dreams of. All of a sudden, I was living in a wonderful training climate, feeling the contagious energy of a team of very professional, committed, passionate people. That was my dream coming true, this was the winning team for sure!
Oh and... isn't it funny how quickly pain and effort are forgotten? Come to think of it,it was hard my friends! I had so much fun working the HARDEST I HAD EVER WORKED IN MY LIFE (so far) with my new friends. Each night, I would come home victorious and bragged to my homestay about how I had managed to survive, at night I prayed I would wake up the next morning and still be able to walk! (I am almost not exaggerating!!!). Uncertainty is a wonderful thing...
But, at the end of the week, I had survived. And had discovered what being a pro athlete, committing and working hard was all about.AND I LOVED IT!! I met my coach Lance Watson, during that camp. The man who I owe much of my success this year to. From there, it all started. It was the beginning of all of the great work with Lance, meeting more new team mates, traveling to training camps in wonderful places while benefiting from the best support ever, training hard, so hard! and learning from Lance every day. Becoming a full time pro and racing faster than I ever had before.
Well, i guess I had to tell you all this in order for you to understand how thankful I am that I have come to meet my new team and how proud I am to be a LIFESPORT athlete. Thank you to all of the Lifesport team for having helped me through a wonderful season.

MY TEAM! Fun times at the 2009 Maui training camp!


As a good thing always leads to another, another blessing in 2009, was meeting my new friend and manager, Travis Blanton. Travis has made it possible for me to meet the great people who would sponsor me this year, the people that I trust and those that would make it possible for me to race with the best equipment and also to look to the future and see my dream of making triathlon my job, possible.
Travis (the tall guy)

I met the people from TYR shortly after Boise, and discovered another group of extraordinary people. How many sponsors do you find yelling encouragements at you on the side of the road the first time they come and see you race (Timberman).I discovered the great work ethics they have when I followed them on a week-end photoshoot. They are a young and dynamic group of people with wonderful ideas that I get along with well and am eager to get to know even better.


Fun at week-end photoshoot! With Chrissie, Becky and TJ!

Feedback on products... perfectionists...

I am also very lucky to have just signed with a new major sponsor, Blue Bikes. It is very new. My team mate, Brent McMahon, had been very satisfied of his Blue bike and had a very good season. Blue sent me a bike to try and I found it just AMAZING. So amazing, that I decided to ride it in CLearwater, even though I had only had it for two weeks!! Blue is now part of my sponsor family and I am very proud to represent such a promising, dynamic, serious company. All of my sponsors have great dreams, which I share.

With Chance, from Blue

My new ride!! All set up for race day?

Another sponsor new to me is Trakkers. I have talked to the guys at Trakkers and get along with them very well. They are very fun to work with and have done some very original website designs for many of the top athletes in our sport. Together, we have elaborated some fun ideas for a website and they are working hard on a project for me. Their creativity will make it very fun!!!

Of course, there is also the people that I want to thank for having provided me equipment in the last years and help me make 2009 possible. Pierre Vermette and Natasha Cassivi from F3 distribution have provided me with Pearl Izumi shoes and apparel for several years and my friends at Marinoni have made it easy for me to find bicycle equipment and have greatly encouraged me in the past years. And since I am in Thank You's, I would also say that I owe alot to my friend Sophie Limoges for having prevented me from getting injured all year with her chiropractic skills! She is just amazing..and more of a healer than a chiro, really. Each time I have gone to see her with something wrong, she has solved my issue. She is magic! Merci Sophie et Robert. Last but not least, thank you to my new friends that have provided me with beautiful race pictures all summer and to all of you that have been cheering for me.
With a family like that, it feels great to look to the future!
2010, here we come!