Martine St-Victor: An Olympic lesson about navigating life’s bumps

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I’m not allergic to physical activity but my best athletic form is displayed when watching and analyzing sports on television and living vicariously through those on the court, the field, the slopes or the ice. It’s a testament to my fandom and to the fact that let’s face it, I’ve never had the athletic talent for anything more than admiring those who do.

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Like many, I feel conflicted about the Beijing Olympics. I can’t and won’t ignore the inhumane and discriminatory treatment of the Uyghurs and I wish China hadn’t been rewarded with the honor of hosting the Olympic Games. My issue is with the Chinese government and the International Olympic Committee, not the Olympians. And so, I cheer them on.

If how the IOC has slalomed around tough questions about China’s disregard for human rights could be considered lessons in obviousness, opacity and subpar crisis management, how certain Olympians are dealing with adversity has something to teach even those of us who lack athletic prowess.

Like many, I couldn’t wait to see Montrealer Justine Dufour-Lapointe on the slopes. The freestyle skier is a treat to watch. She’s precise, daring and one of the best in the world, as evidenced by her medals from Ella at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and in PyeongChang in 2018.

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Earlier this week, mid-run of the women’s moguls finals, Dufour-Lapointe fell. Seconds down must have felt like hours to her. She knew she was out of contention for a medal, and so did we. Regardless, Dufour-Lapointe got up, requested a ski pole to replace the one she had lost in her fall, and finished her race. “Life is not always easy. I just wanted people at home to know I never gave up,” she responded, when asked why she had chosen to finish. Before the skier hit the slopes on race day, a CBC commentator had remarked that the years of experience and the family dynamic were elements that set Dufour-Lapointe apart. The latter is particularly important. Her sisters de ella Maxime and Chloé are also Olympians, and the three have always been at each other’s sides, in celebration and in defeat. This was once more demonstrated when Justine arrived at the bottom of the slope. She was immediately consoled by her sister Ella Cholé, also a participant in these Games. (Maxime has retired from competition.)

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If there’s an Olympic discipline that could be a metaphor for the past two years, or life in general, really, it’s mogul skiing. We encounter bumps every other day. And even if we can anticipate most of them, others blindside us, and trip us up. Justine Dufour-Lapointe reminded us that when things don’t go as planned, we can get up and make it through.

I admire Dufour-Lapointe’s perseverance, just as I had admired the courage and self-awareness that Habs Jonathan Drouin and Carey Price displayed and just I had cheered on tennis champion Naomi Osaka and gymnast Simone Biles, when all four pulled the plug last year long enough to take care of themselves and reboot.

What’s the takeaway from all this? That one size doesn’t fit all. That we have the capacity to overcome falls and hurdles and that we have the right to do so at our own pace and in our own way. And just like Chloé Dufour-Lapointe embraced her sister de ella and just like Drouin, Price, Biles and Osaka were comforted by their loved ones, who we surround ourselves with matters. That’s worth more than gold, silver or bronze.

Sometimes the messages we need are right in front of us, and between now and Feb. 20, many of them will be broadcast on television.

Martine St-Victor is general manager of Edelman Montreal and a media commentator. Instagram and Twitter: martinmontreal