Who would have imagined that high jumper Lucie Pierre-Louis, who came in sixth place at the recent CIAU Championship in Track and Field, began her athletic career in exchange for a popsicle?
A third-year student in Science and Human Affairs, Louis is currently provincial champion and undefeated on the Quebec university circuit. She was also a gold medalist at the Quebec Games in high jump as a juvenile.
“The most important [competition] for me was the World Grand Prix of Montreal in January 1993,” she said. “I won the bronze medal, and in 1996 I was the provincial champion in the 300 meters as a senior.” She hopes to make the Francophone Games this year as well.
Louis’ achievements and desire to succeed in track and field began as a young girl.
“My dad [encouraged] me to run at the age of five so that I could stay healthy by doing exercises, and in exchange he gave me a popsicle,” she explained. “I started to compete at the age of eight, and competition after competition [made me] realize that the jumping events were my strength. So I decided to concentrate in the long and the high jump.”
She has participated in all levels of competition- regional, provincial, national, and international.
At the most recent CIAU Championships in track and field, Louis’ rank in the high jump soared from 14th place to sixth with a season best performance of 1.63 meters. “It’s good, but I know it could be better,” she said, adding that her personal best is 1.70 meters. “I’m still happy with this, considering the bad cold I had.”
As with any extracurricular activity, high jumping plays a much bigger subconscious role for Louis.
“It’s definitely a stress reliever for me, but it also makes me stronger psychologically,” she said. “Psychological strength is required to be a good high jumper. You must be strong in your mind,” because as the bar gets higher, it becomes that much more of a challenge to achieve, she explained.
“It’s also a technical event, meaning that the technique or the way an athlete jumps will have a direct impact on the performance. That’s what makes great high jumpers and average high jumpers.”
Despite the accomplishments, Louis feels that track and field at Concordia is largely underrepresented.
“There [aren’t] a lot of people who know the existence of the track team. It’s too bad because I’m sure there are students who would like to join one, but don’t know where to go and to whom they should speak,” she said.
She believes that if the school publicized the track team as they do other sports, there would be an increase in track athletes, giving more people the opportunity, “to become elite athletes.”
Louis will graduate this December, and is unsure as to whether she will still be eligible to compete the whole season for Concordia.
A third-year student in Science and Human Affairs, Louis is currently provincial champion and undefeated on the Quebec university circuit. She was also a gold medalist at the Quebec Games in high jump as a juvenile.
“The most important [competition] for me was the World Grand Prix of Montreal in January 1993,” she said. “I won the bronze medal, and in 1996 I was the provincial champion in the 300 meters as a senior.” She hopes to make the Francophone Games this year as well.
Louis’ achievements and desire to succeed in track and field began as a young girl.
“My dad [encouraged] me to run at the age of five so that I could stay healthy by doing exercises, and in exchange he gave me a popsicle,” she explained. “I started to compete at the age of eight, and competition after competition [made me] realize that the jumping events were my strength. So I decided to concentrate in the long and the high jump.”
She has participated in all levels of competition- regional, provincial, national, and international.
At the most recent CIAU Championships in track and field, Louis’ rank in the high jump soared from 14th place to sixth with a season best performance of 1.63 meters. “It’s good, but I know it could be better,” she said, adding that her personal best is 1.70 meters. “I’m still happy with this, considering the bad cold I had.”
As with any extracurricular activity, high jumping plays a much bigger subconscious role for Louis.
“It’s definitely a stress reliever for me, but it also makes me stronger psychologically,” she said. “Psychological strength is required to be a good high jumper. You must be strong in your mind,” because as the bar gets higher, it becomes that much more of a challenge to achieve, she explained.
“It’s also a technical event, meaning that the technique or the way an athlete jumps will have a direct impact on the performance. That’s what makes great high jumpers and average high jumpers.”
Despite the accomplishments, Louis feels that track and field at Concordia is largely underrepresented.
“There [aren’t] a lot of people who know the existence of the track team. It’s too bad because I’m sure there are students who would like to join one, but don’t know where to go and to whom they should speak,” she said.
She believes that if the school publicized the track team as they do other sports, there would be an increase in track athletes, giving more people the opportunity, “to become elite athletes.”
Louis will graduate this December, and is unsure as to whether she will still be eligible to compete the whole season for Concordia.
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