SPORT: Cross-Country Skiing
AGE: 31
TRAINING LOCALE: Canmore Nordic Centre in Canmore, Alta.
TRAINING SCHEDULE: Except for a break between mid-March and mid-April, Renner trains all year round. She trains 30 hours a week with the exception of a monthly “recovery week” during which she does 12 hours of non-ski-related workouts. These workouts could include: weights, long-distance running, biking, core exercises, low-impact yoga and roller-skiing (cross-country skiing on wheels). Off-season, she’s free to choose the level and type of activity.
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Married to Canadian alpine skier Thomas Grandi. Mother of daughter Aria, born Feb. 1, 2007.
MILESTONES:
• Silver (sprint relay), 2006 Winter Olympics
• Bronze (sprint), 2005 World Championships, Oberstdorf, Germany
• Silver (10 K), 2006 World Cup, Davos, Switzerland
• Silver (sprint relay), 2005 World Cup, Canmore, Alta.
MEANS OF SUPPORT: As with many Canadian athletes, Renner is sponsored by Sport Canada, as well as by Cross Country Canada. She also receives support from McElhanney Land Surveys Ltd., and from public appearances and speaking engagements.
JUGGLING ACT: Renner juggles her training sessions with nursing Aria. Being a first-time mom has helped her to prioritize and has helped her juggle various demands. “Right now, I can focus on being great at two things: a mother and skier,” she says. She credits the people around her for much of her success. “I have a great support system and that’s so important.” This support system includes her coach, Dave Wood, family in Canmore and her husband’s family in Italy when she races overseas.
BALANCING TIP: Put family first. “It’s difficult to do but it’s so valuable,” she says. “I have no illusions that I’m a supermom. But if I had to choose between a family event and a career function, I would choose the family event.”
NEXT BIG CHALLENGE: Resuming a full-time training schedule just months after giving birth. “I was active during my pregnancy and although the intensity of training increases gradually, starting again is a big adjustment,” she says. And being prepared for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
6. NAME: Christine Sinclair
SPORT: Soccer
AGE: 24
TRAINING LOCALE: Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver
TRAINING SCHEDULE: Sinclair and her teammates (she’s a striker with the Canadian women’s national soccer team) train for two to six hours a day, five to six days a week, up to three weeks of every month before major competitions. Their regular regimen includes running, weight training, speed drills and practice games.
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single.
MILESTONES:
• All-time top goal-scorer in Canadian women’s soccer
• Four-time winner, CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-America (she played forward with the University of Portland Pilots)
• Two-time winner, Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy
MEANS OF SUPPORT: Funded by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Canadian Olympic Committee. Sinclair is also sponsored by Nike.
JUGGLING ACT: Being a full-time soccer player is a juggling act in itself. Sinclair does find the time to occasionally offer coaching advice to younger athletes in Portland, Ore.
BALANCING TIP: Take time off from your regular schedule. For Sinclair, getting away from her training is important for maintaining a balanced life. “I need the opportunity and the time and the space to do my own thing,” she says, adding that skiing and other outdoor activities and watching soccer on TV are among her favourite pastimes. “And you need that…at least I do. I need that separation between work and my time.”
Another important balancing element for Sinclair is staying in close touch with her family. With her intense training schedule and constant demands on her time and energy, she has to make a point of nurturing her relationship with her family, who all live nearby.
NEXT BIG CHALLENGE: Training for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
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