FasterSkier

Tag: Stoke

  • 20-for-20 with Charlotte Hamel

    20-for-20 with Charlotte Hamel

    Charlotte Hamel (Biathlon Estrie) competing in the sprint at Canada’s trials for 2017 IBU Youth/Junior World Championships in Valcartier, Quebec. (Photo: Andrée Dufresne)

    In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes before they competed at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia.

    Here’s 20-year-old Charlotte Hamel, of Biathlon Estrie, who represented Canada at her third Youth/Junior Worlds. Hamel started the 12.5 k individual but did not finish due to illness.

    ***

    “My full name is Charlotte Hamel, and I don’t have a nickname so just call me Charlotte! I was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, raised in this beautiful city, and one thing you should know about my hometown is even if it small, it’s the best place if you are a sports lover.

    I started cross-country skiing when I was born because my parents use to bring me in a baby glider when they were skiing. I learned to ski the same time I started to walk. I started biathlon when I was 8, thanks to big brother Félix, who introduced me to this wonderful sport.

    I currently train in Sherbrooke with Biathlon Estrie at our training center in Stoke, a little village close to Sherbrooke.

    If I’m not skiing, you might find me in the kitchen doing some cooking or in a cafe doing some homework.

    Canada’s Charlotte Hamel racing at the IBU Junior Cup in December in Hochfilzen, Austria. (Photo: Bryan Dickson)

    If I had to pick a favorite book, it would be… I really don’t know!! I read a lot, about five book a year or more, but if I had to chose only one it will be ‘Le voleur d’ombre’ by Marc Levy because I read it really quickly.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Youth/Junior World Championships in Brezno-Osrblie is to be one of the oldest athletes here! I will be sharing my experience, and that’s really nice.

    This will be my third Youth/Junior World Championships, and this year, I’m competing as a junior. One race I’m especially targeting there is the individual.

    The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was to always cross the finish line with a smile. Whatever happed in your race, there always be something good and something that you can learn about. If you can’t see that, that’s means you’re too hard on yourself, and it will be harder to make improvements.

    One of the best race memories I have is when I won my first gold medal at nationals. It was at my first year as a senior girl and it was the first time I cleaned a race. I wasn’t the fastest skier so be able to win the sprint was really impressive for me and it showed me that I can do anything!

    If I could meet one World Cup biathlete, it would be Ole Einar Bjørndalen, because he is the greatest biathlete of all time and even if his not the fastest, he is always shooting great and he is still doing podiums.

    If I don’t end up being a professional biathlete, I’ll probably be opening my own coffee/bakery shop or I’ll be in the woods doing some research for an environmental group.

    I’m missing 18 days of school to be here, and my teachers/professors are probably thinking, ‘That’s not good for her grades.’

    You can follow me on Instagram @hamel.charlotte.”

  • 20-for-20 with Léo Grandbois

    20-for-20 with Léo Grandbois

    Canada’s Léo Grandbois (r) leading the youth field to the range at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)

    In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia.

    Here’s 17-year-old Léo Grandbois, of Biathlon Estrie, who will be representing Canada at his first Youth Worlds. In the first race of the championships, Grandbois won the youth men’s 12.5-kilometer individual.

    ***

    “My full name is Leo Grandbois, but you can call me any time (Leo) haha.  I was born in Germany, raised in Lennoxville, Quebec, and one thing you should know about my hometown is that it is pretty small.

    Canada’s Léo Grandbois racing at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)

    I started cross-country skiing when I was 5-6 and started biathlon when I was 8, thanks to my mom.

    I currently train in Stoke, Quebec, with Biathlon Estrie and my coach Sandrine Charrons.

    If I’m not skiing, you might find me in the woods.

    If I had to pick a favorite book, it would be ‘Of Mice and Men’, but it is the only book I every read completely.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Youth/Junior World Championships in Brezno-Osrblie is to see their culture and to race.

    This will be my first Youth/Junior World Championships, and this year, I’m competing as a youth. One race I’m especially targeting there is the sprint.

    One of the best race memories I have is at Youth Olympic Games last year in Lillehammer, Norway.

    If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Petter Northug and Erik Lesser.

    If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be a forest firefighter.

    I’m missing 15 days of school to be here, and my teachers/professors are probably thinking, ‘This guy is not doing the right thing,’ but I know that I am doing the right thing.”