Montreal, May 27 2010 (Sportcom) - This week Sportcom gives the athlete of the week award to Marie-Hélène Prémont. The mountain bike racer finished fourth at the World Cup in Offenburg, Germany.
Some may think that this result is far from being a highlight performance for the a top racer like Marie-Hélène, but we believe just the opposite. The fourth place shows the tenacity shown by the resident of Chateau-Richer in her effort to return to the top of the World Cup rankings after a difficult season in 2009.
Marie-Hélène, although surprised by her nomination, was also delighted with it. "I am really happy with the race I had. The podium was not far away and the feelings which I had, for me, it was a podium, my personal podium", said Marie-Hélène, at the same time very satisfied and relieved. Relieved to put behind her the bumpy course of last season.
In 2009, Marie-Hélène Prémont made it to the podium only once, in Madrid, finishing second. It was in May, near the beginning of the World Cup season. The following results, though not catastrophic, were not as expected. The flag bearer of the team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles ended her World Cup races around the tenth place, never better, except the last race of the season when she took fifth place in Schladming.
"In short, I was not able to fight. I fought against my body." Marie-Hélène had suffered from respiratory problems throughout the last season, the same that kept her from finishing the race at the Olympics in Beijing. Suffering from exercise induced asthma, she had to learn to open up her rib cage. She also suffered a pelvic imbalance.
"Everything came together. I had problems, muscle tension. I was not good on my bike. I did not know what was happening with my body, but I still hoped."
The idea of stopping had not crossed her mind, but other, less tenacious, less determined people, would have dropped out. "I especially knew that it was necessary that I treat my body. My fifth place in Schladming pointed out to to me that I was still in the game."
She spent the winter going to massage therapy appointments, a specialist in posture, to another in physiotherapy. "I had the whole package!" In the background, to fan the flame for treatment, was the next World Championships to be held at Mont Sainte-Anne. "It certainly has been a great source of motivation," acknowledged the spokeswoman of the event. "A World Championship is still missing from my list! "
"On top of that, the crowd gives me wings. I so much envied the athletes who participated in the Olympic Games of Vancouver. I thought they were lucky."
If Marie-Hélène Prémont is on the highest step of the podium in September, she will count on another title soon: pharmacist.
After six years of study, Marie-Hélène has finished her degree. It only remains for her to complete her clinical training at the hospital. "School is over for me," commented Marie-Hélène, who also holds a degree in kinesiology.
The silver medalist at the Athens Olympics is considering work-sport with optimism. "I think it will be easier to work and train than to study and train. My last two years of studies have been difficult. They were very tough! Still, I opted not to try to be the best at the school. I learned to deal with this." She still managed to stay average and sometimes a little above.
Now, it is difficult to imagine this young woman working behind a drugstore counter, right? "There is so much more than the delivery of drugs to the customer," she commented. Among other things, I mean promoting prevention. I have a degree in Kinesiology for a reason. And I think that a pharmacist in good shape, who advises the customer to move it a little, is more credible."
And the prescription for Marie-Hélène, what is it? "Take it a year at a time. Everything is open before me. After what I experienced in China, I think it would be good to finish on a better note at the 2012 London Olympics. But it is still two years away... or just two years. We shall see!"
Translated from Sportcom announcement.