Speedskater Giroux juggles athletic time with doctoral studies
MONTREAL — Mathieu Giroux will be no stranger to challenges when he arrives in Sochi, Russia, for the Winter Olympics.
Just over a year before the 2010 Vancouver Games, Giroux decided to switch from short track speedskating to long track to fulfil his Olympic dream.
Giroux had competed for Canada at the world junior championships in short track in 2003, 2004 and 2005 but didn’t qualify for the 2006 Olympic team. An ankle injury sidelined him for most of the 2006- 07 season. When he continued to have ankle problems manoeuvring around short track’s tight corners after he returned to the sport in 2008, he decided to make the switch.
Giroux competed at six World Cup stops in 2009- 10, winning three medals in the team pursuit.
En route to Sochi, Giroux made another bold decision — to juggle his doctoral studies in pharmacology in Montreal with his athletic career. That meant the Pointe- aux- Trembles, Que., native would often practise alone because the two national training centres are in Quebec City and Calgary.
He also faced an ultimatum from Speed Skating Canada last year to shelve his studies and do his training at a national centre or be dismissed from the national team and lose his $ 1,500 monthly stipend.
The 27- year- old pressed on, completing his studies. Now Giroux will have the chance to defend his title in Russia. And he’s pretty proud of that.
“In Sochi, we will attend as Olympic champions,” he said. “It’s true we’ll be defending champions but we’re starting all over again.”