Chloé Dufour-Lapointe – Be Olympic
It was Jan. 23, 2016 and we were about to make history: three sisters, for the first time, sweeping a World Cup podium.
Maxime, Justine and I had all qualified for the Super Final and, because there are only six people in the race, we were 50-per-cent there. But instead of focusing on our own runs, and winning, the three of us decided to refocus on what we had to do to sweep that podium. We could feel the strength we had together, that invisible link we have but no one can see. We call it wifi.
With five skiers done, I was first and Maxime was second. The only skier left was Justine. Maxime and I were at the bottom of the course going, “Come on, Justine, you have to make it.” We didn’t care what position we got on the podium, we just wanted to be there together. Justine won, but it didn’t matter. I was so proud of all three of us for sharing that moment.
What does it mean to be Olympic? To me it’s all wrapped up in my sisters. We wouldn’t be where we are today without each other. In unity, we find strength.
People find this hard to believe, but there’s no competition between us. We just want to help each other succeed. We see one push and we all want to push harder.
When Justine and I won gold and silver in moguls at the Sochi Olympics, the victory wasn’t ours’ alone. If you look at that photo of us on the podium, you can see I’m crying. I’m just thinking about all the work, the cries, the laughs, my parents and all the people that helped to get me there. I see our dream coming true when I look at that picture, our family dream. My dad and my mum were there. Both my sisters were there. I feel like we were all on the podium together.
We choose to take a different approach to sports and I believe it stems from the way we were raised. In the summer, we spent weekends on our sailboat. In the winter, we skied. During the week my dad didn’t get home from work until 7 p.m., and even if we were starving we’d wait until he got home to have dinner together. We’d talk about our day, what we did, how it went. We were allowed to be ourselves.
The best part of being with my sisters now is that I get honest critiques. The worst part is the disagreements, but we find solutions. And in those moments where it’s not easy to be alone, I can rely on them.
Fashion is another passion for me and my sisters and I have talked about launching our own line. Our first fashion rule is to inspire young ladies to push themselves.
Whatever we do we’ll continue to be Olympic. We know we’re better when we’re together, pushing each other to be our absolute best.
