Bronze in 2012
Our special guest Christine Girard passed around her Olympic bronze medal for the crowd on January 23.
President Rod is seen here admiring the achievement of an inspiring Canadian.
Christine Girard won the bronze medal in the 2012 Olympic Games, the first Canadian woman to ever win a medal in weightlifting. She told the Club the story of what she went through to prepare for the 2012 Games.
Christine had participated in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and come in 4th. She came back from China to be overwhelmed with the things going on in her life. She was completing the final year of her teaching degree at university back at home in Quebec and her future husband had joined the RCMP and moved to BC. Christine moved out to the west coast and had to learn English, find a new coach find a facility to train in and get organized.
Receiving funding from the "Own the Podium " program helped re-energize her. Christine decided to take control over what she could control. Her parents came out from Quebec and converted her garage into a training area. Christine's husband helped her coach and train herself. She became her own nutritionist.
Christine's attitude was to turn problems into opportunities. Even an injury the day before she had to lift at the Olympics was used to help her focus. She says her secret to success was to develop a sense of responsibility, stay in the action and seize the opportunity. To believe in your dreams, first and foremost believe in yourself.