Cendrine Browne’s name was dropped from the national cross-country ski team less than two years ago. She has fought a long battle since and finally had the last word: she will be Olympian for the Beijing 2022 Games.

“What matters is not the force of the blows you give, it’s the number of blows you take while continuing to move forward [traduction libre] said Rocky Balboa.

Resilience is a quality that comes up more often than not when it comes to Cendrine Browne. The Quebecer has also proven it on several occasions in recent years, overcoming all the obstacles that have stood in her way to the Beijing Games.

The 28-year-old athlete hasn’t had it easy this Olympic cycle: concussions, the COVID-19 pandemic and hard-to-swallow decisions from his federation have made it difficult to achieve his goal. goal.

Browne believes she grew up in this adversity and it is with her contagious smile that she does so, even today.

“A fighter? A resilient? A survivor? All these answers probably, I could have let go a dozen times in the last two years. I love my sport, I’m still passionate about it and that’s what keeps me going in life,” she sums up.

A long standoff

It was an intense start to the pandemic for Browne who was dropped from the national team at the end of the 2019-20 season. The cancellation of several races forced by the spread of the virus pulled the rug out from under her and prevented her from fulfilling the necessary national criteria.

She was deprived of opportunities to prove herself, and then she was simply told that she had failed.

Many athletes would have given up and turned to retirement faced with such a situation, but not Cendrine Browne. Instead, she preferred to stand up to continue to live from her passion.

The skier first started looking for sponsors to be able to cover the costs of her 2020-2021 season in the World Cup, while continuing talks with Nordiq Canada in order to regain her place within the formation.

After several trying months, the Olympian from the Pyeongchang Games finally proved that she was still one of the best cross-country skiers in the country and she returned to the national team. This decision, however, left scars and his return did not erase the bad memories from his memory.

“What happened hurt me deeply. Trust is easily broken and takes time to rebuild. Things are slowly changing and I think they want to improve the federation. I learned to be patient,” she says, a bit philosophical.

The promordial support of Louis Bouchard

Cendrine Browne was able to count on major allies during this difficult period. Among these is his trainer Louis Bouchardwho played a key role in his reintegration into the national team.

“He could have given up easily, but that’s not what he did at all. He kept fighting really hard with me, we kept training and it paid off. We continued to believe in it together, there was never any question of me stopping with him, ”she says, smiling.

The coach of the National Training Center Pierre Harvey (CNEPH) agrees with his protege. He recalls, among other things, the strength of character of his athlete, while maintaining that he always believed that she would find her place. Now he assures that the problems are behind her.

“By dint of fighting, she told herself that she was here because she loves her sport, because she loves her training group. She doesn’t want to be disturbed anymore and she was able to focus on what she loves. It’s hard, it’s a slap in the face that she received from the federation, but she is very positive, Cendrine”, boasts the coach, while underlining the contribution of Browne to his young CNEPH teammates.

For his part, the athlete from Prévost affirms that his relationship with Louis Bouchard has solidified enormously following these events. She considers herself lucky to be able to work with a coach who puts the athlete at the top of her priorities, well before results and medals.

“He’s a coach you have a partnership with, he’ll take the time to talk to you and see what you think. He helps you a lot to progress not only as an athlete, but also as a person. I grew a lot with Louis and I’m grateful to have spent the last few years training with him. »

An upgraded version en route to Beijing

Cendrine Browne will be making her second Olympic appearance this winter. She admits, however, that there is a world of difference between the athlete she was in South Korea four years ago and the one who will be hitting the Chinese tracks in a few weeks.

“The Cendrine who will be at the Beijing Games will be more confident, she will take her place and will be more assumed, she says, unequivocally. She will also take things with a grain of salt and put less pressure on herself. I want to make the most of it! »

With a ninth place last season at the World Championships, the representative of the maple leaf is hopeful that the women’s relay will be able to surprise in the Chinese capital.

“We got there. We are all older, we have more experience. It’s the little things that make the difference. If all goes well, we should be able to do something nice. »

With all that has happened to her in the past four years, Browne once again reiterates how far she has come during this time. She also considers that she has additional experience that will allow her to live a whole new experience.

“It’s a lifetime achievement, it’s one of the biggest goals in my life and in my career. I achieved it in 2018, but to be able to achieve it a second time, to be a double Olympian after everything I’ve been through…it’s just wow! It’s quite an accomplishment. »

When she projects herself into the future, more precisely when she crosses the finish line in the Zhangjiakou zone, Cendrine Browne has only one wish: to be proud of the work she has accomplished for her to be made to the end of his dream.

“I don’t want to set results goals so that I can profit from the process. Successful Games would be Games in which I gave everything, I did my best, I skied as I wanted. If I realize all this, I know that the results will follow, ”she concludes.