Every morning, rain or shine, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau rides her bike to pick up her 3-year-old boy Hadrien at daycare. His two eldest children, Xavier James and Ella-Grace, also go to school by bicycle or on foot.
“One morning I did my little routine. I put Hadrien in the seat of the bike… And I realized, as I pulled up his collar, that it was really cold. My forehead hurt, she said, laughing at the end of the line. It was -25, imagine! We went to daycare differently that day! »
This anecdote illustrates how physical activity and the outdoors are a key part of the lifestyle of the First Lady of Canada. And it's not new: an only child, born in the Laurentians, she remembers a childhood cradled by nature. “My parents were very athletic, she says, I remember spending my days outside! We went to the forest, to the mountains, camping. »
Her passion didn't fade as she grew older or became a mom. On the contrary. She and her little clan like to practice all kinds of sports. She enumerates them enthusiastically: "In winter,we go snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, sliding and skating,” she says. In summer, we love canoeing, kayaking, biking, swimming. And in between, we go hiking, we go to parks a lot. »
For the 150e anniversary of Canada, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, 41, is taking on the role of honorary guide of Parks Canada for Families.
Did you know?
- At puberty, 1 out of 2 girls quit sports.
- One in three teenage girls suffers from moderate to severe anxiety disorder.
Aiming for balance
We understand why she said yes, a little over a year ago, when Claudine Labelle, founder and president of Fillactive, asked her to join to his organization. Not only is Ms. Grégoire-Trudeau sensitive to the cause of physical activity, but that of girls, teenagers, sometimes struggling with self-esteem problems, touches her a lot. “Since I suffered from eating disorders, I have been aiming for mental and physical balance, confides the one who is today spokesperson for FitSpirit. FitSpirit, for me, it's a gift, a golden opportunity to send a message to our young girls. »
This message is to move, to get to know yourself better, to surpass yourself, to forge links, to better control your body, your mind, your spirit… "In the end, your way of facing the test physical, to the physical challenge, it's your way of facingadversity in life,” she says.
Be a role model
His leitmotif to inspire young people? Be in the action. Lead by example. "We don't care about titles," she says. The important thing is to be present, to be sincere and to have an open heart and mind. “It’s the same thing in her life as a mom. “We know that children learn from us and imitate us,” she says. Whether it is ten minutes or an hour of physical activity, the effect is multiplied. »
Lead by example. Go beyond. Be genuine and real. This is her way of influencing people, be it teenage girls (those who participate in the FitClub), Canadians (those she meets on the trails of national parks) and her three children.
Fillactive is…
- Fillactive educated close to 25,000girls on the importance of physical activity in Quebec and Ontario
- Over 10,000girls participated in the FitClub program
- These girls were scattered across the 196schools enrolled in the program
- 676workshops were offered by FitSpirit to participants
- Over 600volunteer responders, and more than 255 volunteers, contribute to FitSpirit's mission
(Source: FitSpirit.ca, 2015-2016 data)
Fillactive was founded in 2007. Its mission is to get girls ages 12-17 moving and encouraging them to adopt a he althy lifestyle. For more thaninformation, you can visit the FitSpirit website. To get involved in getting your daughter in shape, you can visit Fillactive.club, a tool designed for teenage girls to help them develop he althy lifestyle habits and get busy at home.
