She’s been there throughout my entire career and it’s been amazing to ski alongside her. She’s been such a role model and an inspiration, and I have the utmost respect for her. I’ve had some of my greatest days when I was standing on the podium with her… there’s many times actually, but World Championships in ’07, and World Championships this year… She’s such a driven, strong woman, and I think she’ll be doing great things in her life for sure.

I definitely think that it’s possible, more than possible even, and I’m surprised it didn’t happen this year. It’s unfortunate that Jenn wasn’t a part of that. We’re such a strong team, with Chloé and Justine and Andi coming out so, yeah, it’s a great future for our sport definitely.

It’s definitely going to be a lot different without Jennifer there, and I’ll be one of the veterans now. A lot of the girls are quite young and inexperienced, so… I’m definitely very open with that, I make sure that I share my experiences and help them accomplish great things as well.

 

I sure wouldn’t be where I’m at right now without Jennifer. From the beginning she helped me with her work ethic, even before I started on the World Cup tour in 2005-2006. I wouldn’t be here with that resumé without her. My philosophy is that you learn from the best, and it seems to me I’m training with the best, and there’s no other woman in the world who’s capable of motivating me like Jennifer, be it in the gym or on the slopes. She’s the only woman who can motivate me and manage to push my limits thanks to her work ethic and her desire to win – Jennifer just can’t accept to finish second!

Yes of course, since I expected her to win. I was next to her all along her journey to the Olympics and I shared her pain. I was sad but at the same time I was happy with her performance, I was happy for her. She deserved the gold medal just as much as in 2006, then the American (Hannah Kearney) just made an incredible run and won the race, and it’s great for her. But I sure was disappointed for my big sister, but still it’s a great thing she won a silver medal.

 

Honestly I’m so at peace. I crossed that finish line and I looked back up at the course, and I just had a deep breath and I almost thanked the course and thanked that sport, and I felt ready. Of course I’m gonna miss it, I mean… I’m gonna miss those guys, I’m gonna miss having that opportunity to chase that one specific dream, to put all that work into testing my limits… I think I’m gonna be able to do that off the slopes. It’s a time of great change for me right now, but there’s gonna be a lot of discovery that I haven’t had in a long time. I’ve been having a very specific routine for a decade, and now, yeah, the world’s mine to discover, and test myself in so many different ways. I don’t need to know what those ways are gonna be yet. I know I’m gonna be tested and I look forward to it, because I’m gonna be building new skills and new adventures.

I am involved with the future of sports already with B2Ten and there’s really exciting things going on right now, and I’m gonna continue to be implicated in that as I already am. And one of my projects is the development of using sports to get kids healthy and active. That’s one of my passions. I know I’m not gonna get really far. Sports is my passion and I’ll be around. Whether it’s on a voluntary basis or whatever, I will be here.

When I first arrived I was the youngest by almost a decade, and then I took a year off, and then the following year I was the most experienced. When I came back in 2004 I was the only one who had ever been to an Olympic Games and who had that experience, so from that moment I think that something changed. It’s been a lot of fun the last couple of years with the new generation. And I think if the sport wasn’t in such good hands right now I‘d be very disappointed and very sad to leave, but I’m so excited for them. They have all the tools they need, it’s obviously very clear that they’re already winning, so it’s been really fun sharing my knowledge and getting to know these guys. I’ll just be supporting them from the sidelines now. Honestly it feels good, I’m really excited for them, I really hope that they can sweep that podium on the women side. When I came in I was the only woman winning consistently, the only woman on the podium for two years, and now, you know, there are so many different girls within the team and that’s really cool to see.

No I didn’t, I really didn’t. And I think that’s why when I came back I was probably able to win that much, because it wasn’t my priority. Of course I measured my success based on medals, that’s the measurement of success, but at the end of the day it was always about pushing my limits and focusing on the joy, and I don’t think I could have been that successful had I not had that focus. It’s great now that it’s all over to have had the success I had, but I measure my success in my effort, I measure my success on leaving nothing on the table, and standing on those start gates in 2006 and 2010 having no regrets… That’s how I measure my success.

Start line 2010. It was a personal satisfaction, it was an incredible challenge just to get ready, to be in the right mental space to perform in Vancouver, and it only got better as soon as they announced my name. I swear it’s like the mountain vibrated, and… I mean… just to be in that position, it was pure luck, you know, the Olympics coming to Canada, I was there, I got to experience that, I got to experience the support of the Canadians in going after my dream, and… yes, it was the most moving thing I’ve ever felt…

“This was my last run, and I wanted to leave nothing on the table”, she told us on her final in the duals against Kearney after Sunday’s race in Norway. “I thought I did. I left everything on the course. Today was no different than the other days. I’m so proud about that looking back.”

“It being my last run, the emotion I feel the most is gratitude, from Dominick (Gauthier, her trainer and boyfriend) who’s been so patient with me, and my sponsors like Marcelle who helped me turn my passion into a job, to my parents who gave me the opportunity in the first place.”

“I love sports for trying to redefine what my limits are today and what they will be tomorrow. I’m also thankful for B2Ten and my team in Montreal. I couldn’t imagine the last five years without Alex Bilodeau, who pushed me a lot. It was a huge effort, a team effort.”

Asked how she handled her emotions throughout what she knew was her final World Cup runs, Jenn said she just “tried to focus on the feelings, to connect with them, knowing that I had to appreciate it because there would be just a few runs left.”

Jenn retires with a unique résumé that includes 58 podiums and 25 World Cup victories in 93 appearances. Not only has she won every conceivable moguls trophy, she did it with an incomparable blend of style and humility.

“I really want to soak up these feelings of flying down the moguls course, launching through the air, flying through the air, because I realized that with only two races left I won’t be able to experience that again”, Jenn told us last Saturday before her second Swedish race. “So I’m just looking to find that joy”.

A joy that helped her build one of the most impressive résumés of any skier, male or female. Jennifer has always focused on being satisfied with her performance more than on the results themselves. That’s what’s made her so consistently great and incredibly humble. Of course, as an athlete she always had goals and she’s proud of her wonderful accomplishments that include two Olympic medals (gold in 2006 and silver in 2010), four World Championships titles, and five Crystal Globes. But the most important thing in her mind is that she always tried her best and she always worked hard to get better. For the pure and simple love of her sport.

Perhaps it’s only fitting that her career will end with a dual moguls race. Going head to head with her long-time rivals and Canada’s bright new generation in moguls’ most exciting setup might just be the best way for Jenn to put on a final, unforgettable show. And give her beloved sport a final glimpse of her genuine greatness.

Here is the link to enjoy those rare moments in an athlete’s daily life:

http://www.freestyleski.com/en/index.php/2011/march-17/
 

And just to remind you all that Jenn’s impact goes far beyond World Cup slopes, you can check out the amazing work she does with the ‘Because I’m A Girl’ and ‘B2Ten’ causes.