Several fans had questions for Charles so we gathered some of them and here are his answers.
- What pushed you to start short track speed skating?
François was the first member of the family to start short track when he was 5. I watched what he was doing on the ice and I tried a few times when I had the occasion. I fell in love with the sport and the year after, I joined the club. Our little brother Mathieu also started at that time and my father became a volunteer. The whole family was involved; my mother was in charge of the lifts and was taking care of all the lunches for trainings and competitions.
- If you didn’t choose speed skating, which sport would you do?
Before being a skater, I was a baseball player. I would therefore probably continued to practice this sport.
- What do you eat on a competition day and what are your food guilty pleasures?
My alimentation stays the same during competition, I eat pretty much what I want as long as it’s healthy. I often eat spaghetti with sauce that my mom made. My guilty pleasure is undoubtedly chips, I just can’t resist! Salt and vinegar is my favorite flavor.
- What do you find most difficult in the preparation before the games?
The hardest thing for me is not seeing my family as much as I would want to. They understand my situation but I always feel bad when I can’t attend a dinner or a birthday party. I’ll do my best to catch up in the future.
- What advice can you give to young speed skaters who dream of going to the Olympics?
Love your sport and have fun, believe in yourself and go as far as you can. It’s not always easy, there’s a lot a disappointments, but when you give your 100% and stand up after hard moments, you have more chances to achieve your dreams.
- Who was your idol when you were a kid?
Éric Bédard. He came to the club where I was skating a couple of times, to motivate us and give us advice. Later, Éric became my teammate and mentor, he taught me everything there is to know about World cups.
- Do you listen to music in competition? If so what’s on your playlist?
I always listen to linking park before my races, it has always been my favorite band. My playlist also contains Fall out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Muse, Panic at the Disco, System of a Down, and Justin Timberlake…
