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Joannie not closing the door on Sochi
Still coping with grief over her mom, but thinking ahead
By Terry Bell, The Province February 24, 2011
It's been a year now since figure skater Joannie Rochette competed at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
A year since she overcame all the turmoil, all the heartbreak, all the confusion and somehow managed to win a bronze medal just four days after her mom, Therese, had died of a heart attack.
"It's so weird that it's already one year ago because to me it feels like the Olympics just happened," the 25-year-old from Ile Dupas, Que., said Wednesday on a Chat With Champions conference call organized by the Canadian Olympic Committee.
"It was definitely a very emotional experience and it is linked to me forever. Every time I look at my medal it has a lot of different meanings. It was a very powerful competition for me. The results of it will have an impact on me for the rest of my life."
Rochette, Canada's flag bearer at the 2010 Closing Ceremonies, has been busy over these past 12 months. She finished her CEGEP in Montreal last fall. She has launched the iheartmom campaign in conjunction with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute to raise money for research.
And although she thought about competing on the Grand Prix circuit this season, she decided instead to tour the world with the ice shows, mainly Stars on Ice.
She's done speaking engagements. In June she skated in Beijing at the wedding of Olympic pairs champions Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao.
"I wanted to compete on the Grand Prix circuit but I figured that I've competed all my life, since I was 13, and I've been saying no to the shows," Rochette said.
"This year I wanted to enjoy my skating and go around the world with no stress and just do it for myself.
"It's great to be able to do that. I feel so fortunate to be able to make a living out of it and do what I love without the added pressure."
And wherever Joannie goes she receives the public's love. People want to talk to her. They want to share their stories and hear her's.
"When I first got the news I wanted to keep it to myself," Rochette said, recalling the Sunday morning when her father told her that her mom had died.
"I didn't go outside the (Athlete's) Village or watch TV.
"Of course I knew that people knew but it was when I got home when I realized it was bigger than I'd thought. My family showed me all the magazines and newspapers and people would recognize me on the street when I was shopping.
"That was weird at first. It was very emotional when people came and talked to me because they were touched by what I went through. Every time they told me about their story and it was emotional every time."
Sponsors didn't leave her. They embraced her. In January, Birks created an iheartmom necklace to raise money.
"I was skating in Japan and I saw Japanese fans wearing my necklace and I was very touched by it," she said.
"It was really a warm reception. I couldn't believe how many people followed and had heard about the story. I was really touched by that."
Joannie Rochette still grieves. She does that daily. That's one of the reasons she decided to stay so busy.
"I deal with it every day," she said. "It's a decision I made to stay busy because when I came back home [after the Games] I just wanted to lay in bed all day and not see anyone.
"But my rationality pushed me to stay on schedule and keep doing what I had planned before the Games, and what my mom would have wanted me to do.
"It was not easy. It's still not easy. It's even harder now. During the Olympics I was under tremendous pressure and I had so much support around me. When I got home that's when I realized that life had changed forever.
"The fact that I stayed so busy helps me deal with it but at the same time it makes me grieve more slowly, a little bit every day. It's still not gone for sure. I'm dealing with it."
Rochette said she'll compete in the Japan Open in October. She hasn't ruled out competing at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
"I still haven't made a decision on Sochi, it being so far away," she said.
"If I want to come back it would depend on how good of shape I am in. I'm still skating. I still can do all of my jumps and I'm going to compete in October at the Japan Open for sure.
"For Sochi, it's a big commitment. I think I could come back the season before (the Games) if I want to get back on the Grand Prix circuit and get used to the competition again.
"At the same time, if you look at Evgeni Plushenko, he came back to competition the year of the (2010) Olympics and he was able to finish first in the short and finish second overall.
"I think that's pretty much doable but we'll see."
[email protected]
© Copyright (c) The Province. -
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Documentary
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•Silvy on Ice~ .
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Ho cercato a lungo i video del suo SP e del suo FP di Vancouver su youtube, ma non lo trovo... trovo soltanto video-documentari, interviste oppure montaggi...
Can you help me??. -
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yRTJyIlmCI&feature=related
Qui c'è l'SP amatoriale, non da tv...in effetti è strano, di tutte le altre se ne trovano a fiumi!!. -
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L'amatoriale l'ho trovato anch'io... ma vuoi mettere? XD . -
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http://www.wat.tv/video/joannie-rochette-2...6yv_2jwix_.html
Non da youtube...ma è l'Sp. -
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THE ICE 2011
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Japan Open 2011 
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•Silvy on Ice~+2 .
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Golden Skate Awards 2011 & Ice Christmas Gala 2011
Photos by Paolo Pavan
http://www.quotidianopiemontese.it/2011/10...la-fotogallery/
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Golden Skate Awards 2011 & Ice Christmas Gala 2011 
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|•~ B e 94|+1 .
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EX of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. 
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Ice Skating e Rhythmic Gym Forum | Pattinaggio e Ginnastica Ritmica - » Pattinatori - Skaters
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Joannie ROCHETTE (CAN) |
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