Rapid-fire Q&A with Marie-Michele Gagnon

As athletes stroll in and out of the Canadian Olympic Park for testing, training and appearances, Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) had the opportunity to sit down with Marie-Michèle Gagnon, or “Mitch” as everyone likes to call her. Gagnon is giving it everything she’s got to get her injured shoulder back in prime condition for the season (following surgery this spring), and ACA wanted to know how she’s spending the summer.

Alpine Canada Alpine: What’s your favorite off-season vacation spot?

Marie-Michele Gagnon: Maui. It kind of feels like home because people speak English there and it feels very relaxing. It’s where a lot of the alpine skiers are going in the off-season.

ACA: What’s your favorite summer sport to watch?

MMG: Downhill mountain biking! I do quite a bit of mountain biking normally and I like tennis too – if it’s on TV, I’ll watch it.

ACA: What’s the first thing you do when you get home after the season?

MMG: I don’t have a pattern because I’m moving around so much. I used to go home to my parent’s house in Quebec but now I have a house in Tahoe so I go there. Usually we try to go on vacation to a beach as soon as possible. In the past we have done the Mike Wiegele’s Heli Skiing trip, which is really fun!

ACA: Where in the world are you headed to next to chase the snow?

MMG: I’m probably going to go on snow mid-July in Mount Hood, Oregon, which is part of the rehab for me to get back on snow. I’ll probably head to Chile next with the team.

ACA: What is your favorite cross-training sport?

MMG: Definitely mountain biking.

ACA: What are you binge watching on Netflix?

MMG: I’m taking German classes right now so I’m not really watching TV – I’m doing a lot of studying. But if I really don’t feel like using my brain at night, I watch “Orange is the New Black” or “New Girl”.

ACA: What Euro food are you missing the most?

MMG: Definitely like Kaiserschmarrn which is like an Austrian crepe. I also miss French food – if you go to France, the food is just amazing. Every year we get so excited to go back.

ACA: What’s your biggest fear?

MMG: I would say sharks, but I want to overcome it and go in the shark tank. Maybe start with the cage and then maybe even go swimming with them! I think my fear stems from never having seen one.

ACA: If you could be any animal, what would you be?

MMG: A bird so I could fly.

ACA: Who is your favorite sports icon?

MMG: I would have to say Lindsey Vonn would be my skiing icon.

ACA: What’s your favorite pump-up song?

MMG: Good question. I like this new band called Broods – they are really chill. I also really like techno or dance music.

ACA: iPod Shuffle Game – What song comes up when you click ‘shuffle’?

MMG: David Guetta – Glasgow

Release courtesy of ACA, photo by Dave Holland