Because practicing a sport can be as exciting as it can sometimes feel terrible, and because the path to fame is most often not as straightforward as we expected when we started, we asked our ambassadors to jump back in time and tell us how they progressed in their journey through euphoria, discipline, injuries and pushing limits. What is it that keeps them motivated no matter what hurdles they face? These are their stories and their secrets!
Mountain biking champion, Cindy Montambault is hyperactive and very busy! Meticulous and passionate, in her career as in the trails she roams around the world, she goes through many ups and downs, but her ascent as an athlete and as a human being is undeniable!
Better Athlete, Better Person
"What I love (...) of my way of life is the person I have become along the way." For Cindy, her sport is not just about riding her bike or working hard in the gym! The training, the rigorous efforts, the joys, the achievements and the people she meets along the way are also part of the experience and is what feeds the spirit throughout her whole life. "Every test, every failure, every victory made me a better person than I was a few years ago, at the very beginning! ".
And even when you're on a roll, nothing is ever totally acquired or easy. “I didn’t think the path was going to be so difficult. But I think it's all worth it because I have the privilege to do what I love most in the world. This said, if it were easy, everyone would do it!” Says Cindy, who won a World Cup medal in the Eliminator (sprint), the only Canadian medal in this discipline in addition to being 2-time Quebec champion in XCO.
Grow your confidence, work your motivation, build your victories
It's not easy to put things into perspective and accept it when a race is not going the way you planned it. It's not possible to control the outcome of every competition either. But luckily, Cindy knows how to regain her contagious smile and positive morale. "I set achievable goals so that motivation is always there. When you reach your goals, trust builds and motivation increases. Yes, there are some days when motivation is low, but when it is, I have some tricks I apply to find my happy place like picking up a coffee as a reward at the end of a training session, treating myself with some candy, listening to my favorite songs during training ... Everyone has his little pleasures and we just have to apply them in those moments.”
Changing to win
To put the odds on her favour, Cindy had to make changes to her lifestyle. Which ones? “Everything! Sleep pattern, nutrition, workouts, lifestyle in general!” She says. But the most difficult thing for this champion, is to lift her foot off the gas pedal and manage her energy. "I'm hyperactive so for me, slowing down is difficult. When I move too fast, I burn energy that I won’t be able to use come race time or during training so it’s imperative for me to relax!".
And to do that, Cindy has an infallible trick: "I do a lot of meditation and that helps with concentration. Managing emotions and thoughts not only during competition but also while training. It happens that I need to empty my mind before continuing intervals in order to concentrate.
To someone who feels a little discouraged or to an athlete who needs a pat on the back, Cindy exclaims: "Be patient and as long as you’re having fun, keep going!"