This month’s Canadian Dreamer is 24-year-old Megan Imrie of Falcon Lake, Manitoba. Megan not only participated in the first Activate! Conference in 2004; she also represented Canada in the biathlon at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. I sat down with Megan earlier this year to talk about her journey as an athlete and big dreamer.
RM: How did you get involved in biathlon?
MI: My parents were active members of an after school ski and biathlon club, the Biathlon Bears. So it was a very normal activity for me, from about age six.
RM: What do people say when you tell them you are a biathlete?
MI: Usually people say, “Oh, that’s swimming and biking, right?”…. No, it’s not.
RM: I guess that would be a triathlon. Tell us what a biathlon involves.
MI: Biathlon combines the gut-busting effort of cross country skiing with the fine motor control of rifle marksmanship. We ski three or five laps of a two to three kilometre course, stopping to shoot at five targets between each lap. It’s like racing up a few flights of stairs and trying to thread a needle five times at the top.
RM: Sounds intense. What is your training schedule like?
MI: I train six to seven days a week, eleven months of the year. I do anywhere from five to thirty hours of physical training a week: roller-skiing, running, biking, strength, skiing, et cetera. Plus shooting practice.
RM: Where is the coolest place you have ever competed?
MI: I’ve competed in South Korea, Khanty-Mansysk, Russia, and Bled, Slovenia. My favourite was Whistler at the Olympics though - to have a home crowd was amazing.
RM: I can only imagine. Tell us more about your 2010 experience. What was it like to represent Canada?
MI: It was two weeks of raw energy, emotion, and culture explosion. It was everything that couldn’t be expected, and a few things that could. Representing Canada was and still does make me incredibly proud. Walking through Whistler during the opening ceremonies as an Olympian will be something I will never forget. One of my highlights was watching the final hockey game in the Vancouver Athletes’ Village with all the Canadian team. When Canada scored, we rushed out onto the balcony, which overlooked B.C. Place, where the game was being played. As the entire city erupted in cheers around us, our Chef de Mission, Marnie McBean, said “Remember this moment. You have all been a part of the most successful Canadian Olympic Team in history. Congratulations.”
RM: That sounds amazing. I am sure you are hoping to have more Olympic experiences, though. What is your biggest dream for the future?
MI: I really would love to step on an international podium one day. The Olympics in 2014 is also something I will be working towards. Apart from sport, I dream of going back to school, and someday owning a cabin on a lake.
RM: What would you say to other people who have a big dream, like yours, but don’t know how to achieve it?
MI: Keep the dream alive with reminders, inspiration and goals. Take it one step at a time, work towards it daily in some way. And in my opinion, it’s ultimately the journey that counts, so make sure that you love that part of it too!
To learn more about Megan and to support her Olympic journey, please visit http://www.meganimrie.com/
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Know a Canadian with a big dream? Nominate him or her for our next Canadian Dreamer profile by contacting Ranita at rmanocha (at) alumni (dot) uwo (dot) ca.
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