Ivanie Blondin

www.facebook.com/ivanie.blondin
twitter.com/ivanieb

Training Regime	She trains at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, AB, Canada.
Reason for choosing this sport	She initially competed in figure skating but says she was not graceful enough and enjoyed skating fast, so switched to speed skating. She then took up short track, before switching to speed skating in 2010 after suffering five concussions over a three-year period in short track.
Name of coach	Remmelt Eldering [club, national], NED
When and where did you begin this sport?	She began skating in her backyard at age two, and first tried short track at age seven in Ottawa, ON, Canada. She switched to speed skating at age 20.
Club / Team	Gloucester Concordes: Ottawa, ON, CAN

Famous relatives	Her partner Konrad Nagy has represented Hungary in speed skating, and competed at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (Facebook profile, 07 Dec 2019; SportsDeskOnline, 03 Jan 2020)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (cbc.ca, 22 Sep 2020)
Awards and honours	She received the Catriona Le May Doan Award from Speed Skating Canada for four consecutive years between 2015 and 2018, and again in 2020. The award recognises the Canadian long track female athlete of the year. (speedskating.ca, 04 Sep 2020)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Skate fast, turn left." (Athlete, 18 Nov 2018)
Other sports	In addition to competing in speed skating, she has participated in several short track world junior championships, winning a silver medal in the 3000m relay in 2009. She also competed in national junior cycling track events in 2007. (SportsDeskOnline, 28 Nov 2013; cyclingarchives.com, 05 Jan 2012)
Most influential person in career	Hungarian speed skater Konrad Nagy. (Athlete, 18 Nov 2018)
Injuries	A virus caused her to withdraw from the 1000m and 3000m races at the 2016 World Cup event in Nagano, Japan. She was able to compete in the mass start later in the event, finishing second. (cbc.ca, 20 Nov 2016) She had tendinitis in her left knee in 2012. (Athlete, 03 Dec 2015) In 2011 she injured her knee and had glandular fever. (ottawacitizen.com, 04 Nov 2012) During her short track career, she suffered five concussions over a period of three years. (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017)
Other information	CANINE THERAPY She struggled with her mental health after returning home from the 2018 Olympic Winter Games without a medal, but says fostering dogs helped her to recover her confidence and continue competing in the sport. "I just kept filling our house with animals, that's how I healed. Taking care of those animals brought me back to where I needed to be. And when you go from such a high to such a low, if you do bounce back properly, sometimes these things make you stronger." (cbc.ca, 22 Sep 2020)
Hobbies	Fostering dogs, spending time outdoors, camping, canoeing, water skiing, fishing, playing the piano and guitar, snowboarding, drawing, cycling. (cbc.ca, 22 Sep 2020; schaatsen.nl, 15 Mar 2020)