With six world championships and one Olympic medal to her credit, Val\u00e9rie Maltais continues to excel in her short track speed skating career after more than 20 years in this field. Competitive and fierce, the athlete shares with us a few\u00a0humorous\u00a0facts about her Olympic journey, about her lifestyle\u00a0and her future.<\/p>\n
I was three and a half years old when I started ice skating at the La Baie skating school in Saguenay. I practiced figure skating until i was\u00a0six, more specifically until my mother discovered speed skating during\u00a0the 1997 olympics. After noticing that I was a bit too competitive for a sport such as figure skating, my mother decided to offer me a type of skating that was slightly\u00a0more\u00a0adapted to my personality. She was used to watching me race against my teammates after every figure skating class, I didn’t quite fit\u00a0the mold. The funny thing is, the first time I tried\u00a0speed skating I cried because I didn’t want to\u00a0try it out, but also cried because I didn’t want to leave the\u00a0ice at the end of the class.<\/p>\n
This year marks my 21st season! For me speed skating is a sport that always leaves room for improvement. Each race is unique, it’s what makes this sport so motivating. I also like the fact that there are many\u00a0competitions at different levels throughout the year. My favorite\u00a0moments are when the physical, technical and tactical aspects of the sport are aligned for an almost perfect race. That feeling of success \u00a0is absolutely extraordinary.<\/p>\n
I love to feel the stress and pressure before a race. I also like to perfect my art continually. The only thing I would change about speed\u00a0skating is the fact that it’s a sport that is practiced indoors. I love the summer and the heat so if I could enjoy the warm outside while skating I would be 100% fulfilled.<\/p>\n
I train\u00a011 months per year. I usually train from 8am in the morning to 5am at night, my mornings and afternoons are spent on the ice. I also have bodybuilding training in between. I take\u00a0a break\u00a0from skating in April… I who loves the heat and the weather so much am not always happy about it ;).<\/p>\n
I try to keep a healthy lifestyle, I go to bed early and eat well. One of the rituals I maintain during my training\u00a0a regular\u00a0soak in the cold bath. The cold bath after training is useful because it reduces muscle\u00a0inflammation and activates the blood circulation.<\/p>\n
I love to cook! I also like to discover local markets and products when I travel. It makes me discover new foods that I can incorporate into my recipes. I also like to spend time with my friends, read and watch movies.<\/p>\n
I have a nutritionist who makes sure to give a menu for the week at the hotel where I stay. I don’t deprive myself,\u00a0if I want to eat something I do, as long as\u00a0it’s not excess.<\/p>\n
I think about it already, I still have 4 years of speed skating ahead of\u00a0me so i’m not in a hurry to determine exactly what I want to do. I already have certification\u00a0in dietetics but i’m thinking about changing my field of study completely and enroll in a marketing program at university.<\/p>\n
It’s important not to take anything for granted. I won several competitions when I started my career\u00a0in this sport. My parents have always told me that everybody works hard to get better and better\u00a0and to not let my guard down because I was good.\u00a0I refused to let my success get to my head.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With six world championships and one Olympic medal to her credit, Val\u00e9rie Maltais continues to excel in her short track speed skating …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":3592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n