The Dufour-Lapointe Sisters, Olympic Skiers Thank Parents For All Their Sacrifice
Every few years, when the Olympics roll around, I sit and watch in awe. I’m not only impressed by the athletic prowess these men and women show (though that’s obviously pretty damn cool) but also of the athlete’s parents, many of whom spent countless hours schlepping their little future-olympians back and forth between 5am practice and various competitions. These people are awesome and apparently Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, two Canadian sisters both skiing in the Sochi Olympics this year, think so too.
The two sister, who have won the hearts of a ton of new fans after they both earned medals for the name event, wept during a new conference earlier today as they spoke of the sacrifices their parents made to ensure their success. According to 22-year-old Chloe, the two medalists, along with their older sister Maxine, who also competed but didn’t place, knew they had to do their best because letting their parents down was just not an option. Chloe went on to say that her parents did everything they could to ensure that they had what they needed to participate in the sport they love so well:
“You would think that it’s not a big deal because it’s a run down the hill. But there are years of training behind it and I just told myself, `You have to be very brave, you have to do what you can.”‘
According to the WPXI article, this heartwarming moment helped to loosen some tension that had been going on between French and English speaking journalists, over which language the answers should be spoken in and where people needed to stand. I guess these minor issues seem silly compared to the weight of the sister’s shining moment and the amount of work their parents must have put in.
The sisters also spoke of the future. Maxine says she plans to compete again and match her sisters, and Justine made mention of her dream of starting a clothing line. The girl’s father, Yves Lapointe, when asked of the sacrifices he had made, said that he wouldn’t “put things that way,” and that it was about making choices on what one wants to do: “Choice is much better.”
I think it’s beautiful that the Lapointe sisters took a moment to thank their parents while in the spotlight. It’s a great reminder of the amount of work and struggle that goes into getting to the Olympics, or gaining any kind of success.
