You’ll be familiar with their faces; some of you see them every weekend in the four corners of Quebec, and some of you have been seeing them for years. Always there to ensure your safety, often present to remind you of the rules at pre-race meetings and sometimes, to your dismay, also to enforce the rules and impose (very few) penalties, Triathlon Québec officials play a major role in the running of events. Through this series of portraits, we’d like to introduce you to the men and women behind the whistle. Who knows, it might even inspire you to join the team!
If you’ve taken part in triathlons in the last ten years, you’re bound to have come across him at our partner events, as he’s one of our most active and appreciated officials! Today we’re delighted to introduce you to Pierre Jeannotte.
Triathlon Québec : Hello Pierre, could you introduce yourself?
Pierre Jeannotte: I was born in Coteau-Landing in 1962. I’ve been working in education for over 31 years now. I teach health and physical education at the elementary level. I have two children, Jérémie, twenty-six, and Marie-Claudel, twenty-four. When I was young, my main hobbies were field hockey, baseball and soccer. Then I spent many years organizing foot races in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (Loto Québec race) with the Astragal running club. I took up running during my baccalaureate in Sherbrooke, clocking up nine marathons and several 5k, 10k and 21.1k events. Then it was on to cycling, but unfortunately several injuries forced me to stop my career early. At the same time, I’ve always been attracted to water sports, as I spent my youth by the water, whether by a lake, swimming, boating or scuba diving. The real trigger for triathlon came from my daughter Marie-Claudel, who one day told me she was interested in doing a triathlon. That was the start of a wonderful adventure, a unique and magnificent three-discipline sport.
Triathlon Québec: A busy life! How many years have you been a Triathlon Québec official, and what made you decide to become one?
Pierre Jeannotte: It was a friend, Jean-Claude Lachapelle, who gave me the idea of taking the Triathlon Québec official training course! It’s an ideal way to keep up and spend time with my family. As a guy who has always done a lot of volunteer work and been very involved in the community, I decided to take my provincial PTO training in Montreal in 2010. Then, after several triathlons as an official, I decided to continue my training by passing the NTO level in Magog in 2015. I’ve been lucky enough to officiate at almost every triathlon in Quebec, with over 150 triathlons in Quebec to my credit. I’ve really travelled and experienced some beautiful cities, from the Gaspé to Ottawa, thanks to my role as an official! We’re lucky to have great triathlons in Quebec, organized by real enthusiasts with excellent know-how. We’re also lucky to have a great federation that takes care of training and follow-up.
Triathlon Québec: After all these years, what motivates you to be an official every weekend?
Pierre Jeannotte: I’m regularly asked why I’m still so committed. I’d say I’ve always been a guy who likes a challenge, and I put a lot of passion into everything I do. The world of triathlon is fascinating and, above all, very diverse. Because of my job, I wanted to get involved in the education, prevention and safety of our beautiful sport. The family of officials, as we call them in Quebec, is made up of passionate, professional and committed people. We have a great time every weekend. Each triathlon is unique and involves a colossal amount of work, but the 5:00 a.m. wake-ups and twelve-hour days are moments that go by very quickly with this gang! What about our evenings… The ice cream, the mini pot games, the bowling, the great dinners spent with the official family are unique!
Triathlon Québec: What qualities do you think make a good Triathlon Québec official?
Pierre Jeannotte: In my opinion, to be a good official, you need to be well trained to master the rules, have a good sense of organization, good judgment and, above all, be open to criticism to continually improve.
Triathlon Québec: As someone who has travelled the length and breadth of la belle province, what’s your favourite triathlon event?
Pierre Jeannotte: Don’t ask me which triathlon I prefer, because every triathlon is a unique, enriching and rewarding experience. There are wonderful encounters with the participants and always great discoveries of Quebec beauty. I really enjoy working with the organizing committees and volunteers, and it’s always great to see them again, as well as the participants. Over the years, a lot of bonds have been forged. I always look forward to the start of the season in Joliette, and I never tire of Esprit Montréal and Boucherville. The events have been part of my summers for 11 years now.
Triathlon Québec: With all these events under your belt, you must have a little anecdote to share with us?
Pierre Jeannotte: It may seem improbable, but I’ve really seen everything from animals in the transition zones. From deer to Tremblant, cats, dogs, ducks and bustards! What a zoo! Otherwise, there are bikes of all kinds, from racing bikes of course, to bikes with flower baskets, to three-wheelers! There are also less happy moments, such as the flood in Gatineau and the death of my dad when I was sitting on a bike in Tremblant for over 5 hours and couldn’t leave. But these difficult memories are outweighed by the long hours of work and fun with the official gang.
Triathlon Québec: Thank you, Pierre, for this interview, and see you this summer at our partner events!
Pierre Jeannotte: Thank you very much! I’ll indeed be back this year, hoping to get back to almost normal life, and I’ll be starting my twelfth year as an official with the same passion and the same goal of always being up to scratch.
