A look back at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games

A Look Back from our Athlete Ambassadors

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Elizabeth Hosking - Snowboarding

These second Olympic games were meaningful for the 20-year-old woman. On the first day of training, she realized her evolution as an athlete: “When I walked in the wax rooms, I greeted my competitors, and they greeted me back that I realized that I was part of the best and that they recognized me. The first time I went to the Games, nobody knew me, and I didn’t know anybody either.”

After her Beijing experience, Elizabeth feels accomplished. The young athlete feels she can perform under pressure, even if she is very nervous. After coming so close to a podium finish, the competitive athlete has the motivation and the inner fire to pursue her dream of reaching the podium at the next Games. "I am definitely very proud of my journey!”

Mikaël Kingsbury - Freestyle Skiing 

It was Mikaël’s third participation at the Olympic Games. This Beijing edition will remain for him, marked by the pandemic. In fact, he spent the weeks leading up to the beginning of the Games in a bubble: “a positive test two weeks before the Games meant that I would not participate. So, I lived in a bubble within my team. I spent a lot of time alone between four walls. I almost want to say that most of the hard work was done before getting to the Games. On-site, we had to be very careful because we were tested many times a day, every day.”

The mogul skier from the Laurentians is proud of his performance, even if he was aiming for the gold: “for me, it’s mission accomplished. I like how I approached the Games and performed on the day of the finals. I didn't bring home the gold, but I'm completely satisfied with my performance at the Games.” In fact, he wouldn't change a thing in his last run. To him, it was perfect, and he is proud of it.

Marie-Michèle Gagnon - Alpine Skiing

Marie-Michèle has been part of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team since she was 18 years old. Proud to be representing her country at the Beijing Olympic Games, the athlete feels she belonged with the best this year: “I had good results, my performance was good even though I had a tough start to the season. Although I came back without a medal, I think it's not the only reason we want to make it to the Olympics.”

For Marie-Michèle, the Games are not just about the competition but everything that comes before, during and after: “Trying to be the best in the world in your sport is an amazing challenge. You learn to trust the people around you who support you. You learn to be patient and work hard during long periods to reach your goals.”

According to the skier, the athletes represent their discipline, and the whole delegation is what makes the Olympic Games special. It gives her a great sense of belonging to her country.

Émile Nadeau - Freestyle Skiing

According to Émile, these Olympic Games are all about pride, accomplishment and satisfaction. Being the youngest athlete of the Canadian delegation and the youngest participant in the aerial competition, he is even more motivated and encouraged to follow his goals. In fact, he already reached some during the Beijing Games!

“The most memorable moment of the Beijing Olympic Games was during my competition. Right from my first jump, I attempted and landed a triple summersault with four twists, a back double full full, a jump that I had only started doing in mid-January. On my second jump, I went for it with a back double full full full for the very first time on snow, and I landed it! My goal of landing a triple inverted four twist at the Games was doubly achieved.”

“I had a lot of fun and feel privileged to have been able to participate in the Olympic Games at such a young age. During this competition, the pressure and expectations are at their highest. It's quite impressive. I think I handled it well, and it gives me confidence for the future. I also witnessed some amazing athletes not performing as well as expected, and I felt sad for them. It really put things in perspective because nobody is immune to bad a performance.”

Audrey Mcmaniman - Snowboardcross

For the snowboard cross athlete Audrey Mcmaniman, this first participation in the Olympic Games is the realization of a dream she had been cherishing for almost ten years. When she arrived in Beijing and walked towards the Olympic Village, she realized that it had come true: "When I saw the Olympic rings, the flags of the countries, the games' logo, I realized that I was finally there! It wasn't a dream. Before leaving, there were no festivities and official ceremonies, we were competing in the World Cup until the very end, and everyone was being extra careful about COVID. So it hadn't sunk in."

As she has only had two weeks to come down from her Olympic experience, the snowboarder is still contemplating what she is taking away from it, where she stands as an athlete following the achievement of her goal. Ultimately, she says: "I am proud that my dream came true. Two years ago, I thought it was over after my concussion. But I'm thrilled that I didn't give up and kept going.

After two difficult training days before the race, Audrey regained her focus and performed well at the competition. The week of training was a progression for her, and she realized that she has all the potential and abilities to perform at the Olympics, which remains one of the most anticipated.

“Yes, my 11th place was good, but it means so much more for me. It’s a victory!”