For 10 years, Simone Plourde was part of the Mont-Tremblant ski club. Seriously, the teenager from Mont-Royal slid on her boards from Friday to Sunday, in addition to getting involved in the weight room. Performing between the stakes, she did not dream of the World Cup or of becoming the next Valérie Grenier. Off-season camps in Chile or Austria, very little for her.
One day, her father asked her if she wanted to go jogging with him. She quickly took a liking to it, signing up for a few cross-country races with him. Seeing his potential, a friend of his mother, who had practiced athletics, suggested that he try his luck on the track. So, she arrived on a weekday evening at Étienne-Desmarteau Park, in Rosemont, for training with the Les Vainqueurs club, which brings together runners of all ages and levels. The following year, she joined the competitive group.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SIMONE PLOURDE
Simone Plourde was introduced to running by her father. She quickly took a liking to it.
At Cégep André-Grasset, she signed up for the cross-country team and met Samuel Marion, her first real coach, who recruited her for his civilian club, Saint-Laurent Sélect. Athletics became more serious, even in winter. After juggling both sports, she gave up on alpine skiing.
Skiing was such a big part of my life since I was little, but it was a really easy and natural decision. I had a big crush on athletics.
Simone Plourde, remembering her choice for running six years ago
And a certain talent. She progressed quickly, winning bronze in the 1500m at the Canadian Junior Championships in Montreal in 2019. She shaved more than 20 seconds off her time in the space of two years. In the winter of 2020, in Boston, she set a Quebec indoor record in the mile, a time that attracted the attention of American universities.
Flattered, Simone Plourde however had other ambitions: she was admitted to medicine at the University of Montreal. “I was so good with Sam; our formula worked and I didn’t have much interest in going to the NCAA. But then COVID-19 struck. »
Confined, the young woman had time to reflect and continue the dialogue with American universities. The indefinite closure of training locations in Quebec and the confirmation of an NCAA season in the fall of 2020 ended up persuading her to make the jump. “School will always be there, but your sports peak won’t come back. »
The shock in Utah
Charmed by the mountains of Utah during an altitude training course with Sélect, Plourde was convinced by Brigham Young University, which had an excellent middle-distance program. Due to the pandemic, she did not have the opportunity to visit the campus beforehand. The surprise was complete when she put down her suitcases and crampons in Provo: she had not realized that she was joining the educational epicenter of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, formerly known as Mormons.
In addition to having to observe a demanding moral code, the students, 98% members of the Church, cannot bare shoulders and knees, nor consume coffee, tea or alcohol, among other restrictions.
I arrived there all excited, with lots of dreams. It was a big cultural shock for the Montrealer that I was. I knew immediately that it wouldn’t work, that I wouldn’t stay there for too long.
Simone Plourde
A few times she called her parents in tears. Sorry, they sent her treats and cards of encouragement by post, as they were unable to visit their 20-year-old daughter due to the health situation.
Fortunately, on a sporting level, his experience was impeccable. “I loved the coach, my training partners; they were the best in the country at that time. »
Her trainer, also a non-Mormon, wanted to keep her so much that she gave her a budget to pay for her coffees at Starbucks: “She felt bad! »
The subsidized caffeine was not enough to retain the Quebec recruit, who joined the ranks of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City the following year. “It’s only an hour away, but it’s a completely different world. »
Provincial record
In a program in full swing, led by coach Kyle Kepler, Simone Plourde continued to progress. In her sophomore season, she finished just short of the podium in the 3,000m at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships, a historic individual high for Utah.
In the spring of 2023, she continued her tremendous run outdoors, winning 1500m gold at the Pac 12 Championships after virtually leading the race from start to finish. In 4 min 9.48 s, she erased Mélanie Choinière’s Quebec record which dated from 1996. Less than two weeks later, she shaved another three quarters of a second off at the Western Regional Championships.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SIMONE PLOURDE
Simone Plourde participated in her first World Athletics Championships last August, in Budapest, Hungary.
However, she experienced disappointment at the national championships, stopping in the semi-finals in the 1500m in sultry Texas. On the other hand, she finished seventh in the 5000m, a distance she plans to explore more in the future.
How can we explain this almost meteoric rise? “My coaches have always been very careful, never wanted to squeeze the lemon too much,” she analyzes. They saw my progress in the long term. My training volume has been relatively low since I started. It allowed me to stay healthy. In the United States, I was in altitude programs. I think I benefited a lot from it. »
Read “Simone Plourde: Getting down to business”
reference: www.lapresse.ca