We all remember his 1994 Olympic performance in Lillehammer where he won the gold in freestyle mogul skiing. And at the tender age of 21, he became the most recognized Canadian athlete of the Olympic Games. It is with his usual charm and happy disposition that Mr Jean-Luc Brassard answered our questions about his chosen sport, his career and more significantly, Jennifer Heil’s success.

When Jennifer was still a young teenager, Brad Pitt posters plastered her friends’ bedroom walls, but the budding athlete was in awe of her idol at the time, Jean-Luc Brassard. In fact, Jennifer Heil isn’t shy about the role he played in her professional path. She looked up to him; he was her idol, an inspiration. Nowadays, he smiles at this notion and is flattered to know that he inspired so many young skiers all over the country. This is part one of our interview with Jean-Luc Brassard, which was conducted in November 2009 by Marie-Pierre Quevillon, one of our Cheer for Jenn journalists.

Interview available in French only.