Athletics: Emilie Mondor is Canada's next cross country star

By the age of 22, Emilie Mondor has broken and lost the National 5000m record in 2 days, raced in exotic places like Paris and Brussels and has become one of ten track and field athletes to be 'pre-selected' for the Olympics in Athens this year.

These are among many of her exploits since becoming a competitive runner at the age of 14. She got her start in National competition, winning the Junior Nationals in 1997 and joining the Canadian National team in 1998. That year, she placed 8th and 13th among hundreds of runners, adding a Team historical medal to it and is already ranking among the best of North Americans cross-country athletes ever.

Last year, Mondor broke a National record in the 5000m that until then had remained stagnant for 20 years. Unfortunately, the title was short-lived as another Canadian swept it away in competition the next day. This year she hopes to recapture the title with a race fast enough to hold it for awhile.

Currently, the biological sciences major is enrolled in university at SFU (Burnaby, BC) but has taken correspondence courses at several universities and colleges, including UBC (Vancouver, BC).

"It is so hard right now because I am always away," says Mondor of juggling classes and competing. "I don't really have any choice than to be in correspondence. Because I'm in biological sciences, it's very, very hard to take distance courses, especially because of all the labs." Taking classes at several institutions offers Mondor the opportunity to take classes she needs while still maintaining a professional athletic career.

This year she has managed to balance her schooling with a first-place win in the 4km race at UBC's Cross Country Open and a trip to the World Cross Country championships in Brussels, Belgium.

The championships this year featured two events, both a 4km and an 8km. Mondor was one of the only athletes to compete in both, adding even more difficulty to the already tough event.

"We start with a 110 athletes on a single line, so it's very competitive," says Mondor.

Despite the tough competition, Mondor raced to an eighth-place finish in the 8km and the next day led team Canada to third place overall finish in the 4km, after placing 13th.

"The 8km was probably the hardest race I have ever run," says Mondor. "It was such a hard course, very hilly, very challenging, very muddy, very windy and everything you can have in Brussels," she adds, laughing.

Next up for Mondor is a trip to the Olympics in Athens this summer, provided she places in the top four at this year's National championships, a feat that shouldn't be hard for the well-travelled athlete. Mondor is excited for the opportunity because she is hitting the Athen's Olympics with a sucessful record at the young age of 22. In running events, world athletes are said to peak at age 27. For Mondor this is right around the time the Olympics will be hosted in China. "In theory, I should be better in the Olympics in 2008 in China. For me Athens is very important, but it's also a good preparation for the future."

As for her future after the Olympics, Mondor says she will never stop running.

"For me running is more of a way of life than anything. I can tell you that I could probably stop racing tomorrow and won't be that sad," she says of the competition aspect. "I love racing and every person that knows me as an athlete knows that I love winning," she adds. "Actually, what I love the most is just to go out training every day, just to go out in a place like Burnaby Lake or Jericho Beach," she says.

"I know I will be running all my life, I won't be competing all my life."

After her athletic career ends, Mondor plans to explore a career based on her biological studies, eventually attending graduate school for a Master's. "My development with school is as important as my athletics development," she says.

"You cannot be an athlete all your life....you need to have another door at the end."

From EmilieMondor.com