Remarks collected by Jean-Michel Lachance

You have achieved two participation in an inline world championship. How do you get that?

I started competing on inline skates in 1993. I needed a different sport than cross country skiing and ice hockey, and I usually spent my summers doing street skating with some friends. It seemed a natural fit to begin inline skating. I spend my summers attending races- dreaming of winning races like the New York 100k and also going to the world championships. My first international competition representing Canada was at the 1994 Junior North American Championships in Cambridge, Ontario. My first senior event was the Pan American Championships in Quito, Ecuardor. I then competed at the 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 world championships as well as as the 2002 and 2005 Pan American Championships. I've encountered my most success in the longer races, coming 2nd in the New York 100k, 5th at Athens to Atlanta, and top-10 in World Cup races. I have also won many races at the Canadian championships.

You are in "Own the podium" program, can you explain us what it consist?

I am one of the athletes currently taking part in 'Own The Podium'. The program has opened up a lot of knowledge a positive experiences with sport, friends, and training. So far, we've had a number of training camps inlcuding in Calgary and Ste- Foy. All expenses have been paid, so there is much less stress. I am currently a school teacher, and it is difficult for me to ignore my present committments to teaching, and the people who run the program have been patient and understanding so far.

Chris Shelley has been working directly with us, the group from inline skating. I think he is pleased on how much we've progressed so far, but I know that there is a ton of growth for all of us with technique, times, and our general approach to training.

The goal of the program is to put athletes on the podium at the 2010 Olympics. My intention is to go as far as possible with the program. The next step is a move to Calgary, so the committment from the athletes needs to be serious, and I am ready for that. On the same note, if I am told that I am not fit for the program, I can accept that and be extremely happy for everything that I have learned. I am not sure if there is a formalized process of recruiting and identifying potential athletes at this stage, but I doubt that someone who demonstrates promise would be turned away. The coaching staff is knowledgable and they know what they're looking for.

I honeslty hope to go all the way with Own The Podium- I want to win, and I also want to be with my friends and share great stories. I love competing in inline skating, and my committment to the sport won't change. I am a huge fan and parcitipant in the sport, and the message that I don't want to deliver by possibly swithching my focus to ice skating is that I don't like inline skating. Rather, the message that I want to deliver is that inline skating is a great sport that I will always come back to, participate in, and appreciate for all the experiences.

I'm one of the editors for the Race & Roll Skating Magazine. This means I need to stay on top of what's going on with the trends, news, and life-style of inline skating. Lately, we've been emphasizing the connections between ice and inline skating. I beleive both sports have a lot to gain from each other, so the future is absolutely exciting.

The americans had great succes converting inline athletes to long track speed skating. Can Canada do the same?

The Americans have evidently had great success with athletes changing from inline skating to ice skating. I've always been a huge fan of inline skating, so I have seen the American skaters become extremely successful on the world stage of inline speed skating.

The Canadians have not been anywhere near the success of the American inline skaters on the world stage. There are a few reasons for this, including that the Canadian inline skating scene started much later that that of the Americans of the rest of the world. There was also a lack of coaches and specific training knowledge in Canada, but this is changing. Opportunies to compete at a high level and support available for Canadian athletes is minimal. Also we can't forget about winter time and the fact that there are no training facilities. All these factors make for a weak Canadian inline skating scene.

There has been some great gains in the inline skating scene, and the athletes have responded very positively to the changes. The training is specific, coaches are being trained with the accurate knowledge, clubs are making the most of non skating training venues, and we are developing the internal Canadian scene with race series and competitive events.

That being said, I am sure that with the right support and coaching staff, the current pool of athletes that are currently in the program can acheive anything. Based on the gains that I have made in 3 months from a few training camps but also looking at how well my friends in the program have improved, there is opportunity for great success and legacy.

Photo: Peter Doucet before the start of 20km elimination race
Credit: http://www.cpenol.com