TORONTO – He’s got legs of steel that’ll represent Team Canada in three speed skating events at Sochi.
This is Charle Cournoyer of Boucherville, Que., and he’ll be taking to the ice in the 500-metre, 1000-metre and 5000-metre relay event at the 2014 Olympics.
For the Winter Games, Global News asked a handful of Canadian athletes to recount how they trained every day and to share their tips on healthy eating before the big event.
READ MORE: Canada’s athletes in Sochi: Meet speed skater Charle Cournoyer
Cournoyer has quite the extensive resume: he’s a two-time medallist on the World Cup circuit and his relay team took home the 2013 5000-metre relay World Championship. In 2011, he captured his first World Cup in his first-ever event in Nagoya, Japan.
Cournoyer is 22 years old, 5’8” and 148 pounds. He shows us what it takes to become an Olympic-ready speed skater.
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What does Cournoyer’s average day of training look like?
Cournoyer says he trains from one to three times per day on the ice or in the gym. “It’s an overall of 30 hours per week of hard training,” he told Global News.
What does a typical day of meals look like? What are your favourite healthy dishes and your first indulgence?
“When it comes down to eating, I usually eat simple as much as I can, but in a healthy way,” Cournoyer said. His typical ingredients: lots of meat, vegetables, fruit and some pasta.
“My favourite dish is a big red steak, nothing can beat that,” he said.
What are your healthy eating tips? Are there certain habits, specific snacks or go-to things you turn to when you’re trying to be healthy?
If he’s celebrating, such as over the holidays, Cournoyer said he’ll try to avoid alcohol as much as he can and he’ll try “not to go too crazy” with the sweets.
What are you most excited about for the Olympics?
“I’m really excited about meeting other athletes from other sports and talking about their sports and their habits,” he told Global News.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
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