You don’t build a resume like Jenn’s by resting on your achievements. You don’t win 5 Crystal Globes and two Olympic medals without dedicating hundreds of hours to your physical and mental preparation. The moguls season is long and very demanding. It takes its athletes from Canada to China, from France to the long nights north of the Polar Circle. If you want to reach the podium on a regular basis like Jenn has done for years, you have to be ready.
After an unforgettable summer spent between Indonesia and Europe, Jennifer has gone to work. The goal was clear : she had to be at her absolute physical best in November in order to just maintain that physical level throughout the season.
Her training program started in Quebec. From her advanced physical preparation at Premier Studio in Montreal under the watchful eyes of Scott Livingston and trainer Dominick Gauthier to her gliding practice on Lac Beauport’s Water Ramp, Jennifer laid in July the physical foundations of the upcoming season.
It was during her month-long training camp in Australia that she pushed her personal preparation to another level and really started the skiing part of it. It was the perfect time to work hard, surf a little and meet… Russell Crowe! The famous Australian actor, met totally randomly, invited Jenn and Dom to a game of the rugby team he owns. Add one to this unique summer!
Back in Montreal in September, Jenn took the time to satisfy the demands of her sponsors before she attended Team Canada's training camp in Zermatt, Switzerland. After such an intensive program, and just weeks from the first race of the season, Jennifer is in her best shape. And has a clear target : that sixth Crystal Globe that would once and for all put her on top of her sport.
How could Jenn possibly spend her summer after such an amazing 2010 season? How could she find excitement after yet another incredible year capped by a beautiful Olympic performance and a fifth Crystal Globe (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010), giving her the most impressive résumé in moguls history? The answer is surprisingly simple: she went on her dream trip.
Canadian Ski Coach Dominick Gauthier, Canadian Olympic Freestyle Skiing Champion Jennifer Heil, Canadian Bobsleigh Silver Medalist Helen Upperton and Monegasque Bobsleigh competitor Patrice Servelle attend the Red Bull Formula 1 Energy Station on May 15, 2010 in Monaco, France.
Photo credits : photy by Ian Gavan/Getty Images Europe)
Her dream surf trip, to be precise! Jenn had been dreaming to surf in Indonesia for years and finally got a chance this summer to spend two weeks there with her boyfriend and trainer Dominick Gauthier, an accomplished surfer himself. Discovering that beautiful country and riding its incredible waves have made Jenn’s summer a well-deserved dream come true. She had worked so hard before and during her highly anticipated 2010 ski season that this break was just what she needed.
But that was hardly half of her busy summer. Jenn followed on her Indonesia trip with appearances in Europe. She first met bobsleigh champion Helen Upperton (who also won a silver medal for Canada in the Vancouver games) in Monaco to watch the Formula One Grand Prix on one of the most famous racing circuits in the world. As adrenaline- and speed-addicts themselves, Jennifer and Helen could only marvel at the pace and driving wonders of such an event!
Jenn’s unforgettable summer didn’t quite end in Monaco’s engine noise. She had a chance to mix fun and business as she visited some of France’s finest vineyards in the Bordeaux area with the winners of the auction of an October 2009 Gold Medal Plates event. A unique occasion to taste world renowned wines from Chateau Margaux with the very people who helped finance world-class Canadian athletes like her.
As Jenn told us afterwards: “It was so fantastic from start to finish! From surfing in Indonesia to the F1 in Monaco and the wines of Bordeaux, you could say it was a trip of a lifetime!” It was indeed, especially since her training had yet to begin and she was about to meet Her Majesty the Queen!