A Canadian figure skater who captured hearts for her bronze medal performance at the Vancouver Olympics ā a routine performed two days after her motherās sudden death ā wonāt be competing in Pyeongchang next month.
Instead, Joannie Rochette is pursuing another lifelong dream: to become a doctor.
Since she was young, Rochette aspired to work as a doctor. But, due to her rigorous training on the ice, she didnāt think sheād be able to do both.
She chose skating. Through intense focus and training, she was able to climb her way up the ranks of the figure skating world, and was a six-time Canadian champion. In 2010, she competed in the Vancouver Olympics, and her mother, Therese Rochette, flew to B.C. to cheer her on.
Just two days before the competition, Rochetteās mother suffered a massive heart attack. She died in hospital at the age of 55.
It was a heartbreaking moment for the young athlete. But, in the face of tragedy, she chose to soldier on and compete, telling reporters at the time that she felt the closest to her mother when she was on the ice.
The emotionally-charged routine earned Rochette a bronze medal. She was later named female athlete of the year by The Canadian Press.
āSometimes people stop me in the street and they offer me their condolences for what happened in 2010. Even though itās been so long, in my head and theirs, itās still very fresh,ā Rochette told Ā鶹“«Ć½.
Following the 2010 Olympics, Rochette decided to refocus on her love of medicine. Despite being older than most medical students, she decided to apply anyway, and was accepted to McGill University in 2015.
Now 32, Rochette is still working toward becoming a doctor.
āI was always interested in the human body and being an athlete, trying to understand how things work. And medicine in particular, I think is a very great challenge,ā she said.
āIām really taking it as a privilege and every day thatās whatās pushing me to study harder and harder.ā
Even though she wonāt be competing alongside Team Canada in South Korea, Rochette said she plans to take a break from her studies to cheer them on.
With a report from CTVās Montreal Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin
