Triathlon Québec is proud to present its Athletes of the Month, two personalities who have distinguished themselves through their sporting performance and their commitment to the triathlon community. For the month of March, we’re highlighting two athletes from the Quebec Junior Team who have impressed us so far this season: Maïra Carreau and Nathan Grondin.

For Maïra, the winter season rhymes with the establishment of a constant routine with her studies at Cegep Édouard-Montpetit, her training at the Hippocampe club in St-Hubert, supervised by her coach Jean-Frédéric Fortin, and her personal life. In training, she puts the emphasis on progressive volume and cycling to come back from a tibia injury sustained the previous season. She completed her preparation in Clermont, Florida, for a Quebec team training camp in March.

During this project, she took part in the North American Junior Championship in Sarasota, a race that never ceases to surprise. On the morning of the race, the planned triathlon format was changed to a duathlon due to the weather (5 degrees Celsius). As a result, all athletes had to reorganize with 15 minutes to go before the start. For Maïra, the first two parts of the race went very well, especially the bike part. She finished in 9th place, very happy with the result, especially given the importance of running in the duathlon and the little preparation she had in this discipline.

A few days later, she headed for Portugal to take part in the European Junior Cup in Quarteira, a course she knows well, but which holds its share of surprises and challenges, even more so if you fall ill 4 days before the race! Right from the start, swimming in the sea proved to be a challenge, as the water was very choppy. Maïra did very well, coming out of the water first in the second swim group. The bike course was very technical and fast, and she worked well throughout. Finally, she kept up a good pace to overtake a few girls on the run and finish in 9th place. She goes home very satisfied with her race, especially considering that the pool of triathletes was very strong.

Her first races demonstrate Maïra’s open-mindedness and ability to adapt to the unexpected. She is currently concentrating on her studies and her running form, to be at her best for the next race (Ixtapa, Mexico) and the rest of the season in Quebec on the Grand Prix circuit.

For Nathan, preparation for the start of the season also took place at home, as he studies at Cegep Garneau and trains at Université Laval’s PEPS, under the supervision of his Rouge et Or coach Nicolas Proulx-Bégin. Each training session was guided by a single objective: to qualify for the Junior World Championships. This involved both physical and mental preparation.

With the rocky kick-off to his racing season in Sarasota, Nathan knew that the next stages would be colorful! Despite the sudden change from triathlon to duathlon, he kept his head up and started the race at high speed on the first run section. In a good position coming out of transition, he pedaled strategically and came back into transition in eighth position. This enabled him to restart the second run even faster, catching up with three runners to finish the race in fifth place!

After a few days of additional training in Florida, Nathan headed for Portugal with the rest of the Quebec team to take on a tough race, with several Europeans taking part in the Junior Cup in Quarteira. Nathan was unlucky on a number of occasions, notably with a swim section made difficult by rough seas and some less-than-well-intentioned swimmers, then mechanical glitches on the bike and finally for receiving a penalty for his bike being incorrectly affixed to the rack in transition. He crossed the finish line in 36th place, a placing which does not represent his level of form, but which does represent an improvement on his last result in the European Cup last autumn. The competition has whetted Nathan’s appetite, and he’s even more motivated to prove what he can do!

Back home, Nathan keeps his goal in mind and is motivated by the series of tests remaining on his calendar to help him in his selection for the Junior World Championships.

Well done to both of you for an excellent start to the season, with the 2022 season shaping up to be fast-paced and very interesting for us to follow.

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If you know an athlete who has made a name for himself or herself through performance, athletic achievement or community service, nominate them for the next Athletes of the Month. We’re looking to shine the spotlight on Quebec athletes of all kinds, insiders, pros and beginners alike! Share their name and a short description of their achievements at info@triathlonquebec.org