It’s a remarkable achievement for Isabelle Leclerc by going to the end of the intense triathlon events, Canada Man/Women, on October 3rd, in the Lac Megantic region.
A lawyer by profession and a solicitor for the City of Chambly, Ms. Locklear was ranked second in her age group, 45 to 49 years old. “The person who finished first is an Olympic athlete. There was little chance of me hitting her.”
Isabel almost did not participate in the event, as she had the choice between two competitions. “I signed up in May. I was supposed to do Iron Man Lake Placid, and then in the end it didn’t happen because the only way to get there was by plane at the time. The logistical issues surrounding the flight led her to choose CANADA MAN/WOMAN instead.
“(…) I had a herniated disc, so I didn’t even know what condition I was going to be in.” – Isabel Leclerc
“This version was more difficult, frankly,” admits the woman who was in her third edition as a participant. This year, the swim portion was reduced to 1.5km instead of the usual 3.8km, with the starter broken up into waves by the swimmers and released an hour and 45 minutes later than the previous sessions. The athletes covered 180 km and ran 38 km. There were people who attended in the 11 municipalities we passed by. Some were coming out and cheering us on, but there was no real audience. Medals, gifts, T-shirts and blankets were handed out to the participants “because when you reach the top of the mountain late at night the temperature is around 4 degrees Celsius.”
Decent, but injured
Although she always keeps fit, Isabelle admits that she didn’t need to train for long to get ready for the triathlon. “Anyway, I had a herniated disc, so I didn’t even know what condition I was going to be in,” says the person still recovering today. “There, it’s okay, I can run.”
About the 2021 edition
If the number of international athletes is reduced this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CANADA MAN/WOMAN’s reputation continues to expand beyond Canadian borders, thanks to the film directed and produced by Les Productions Endurance Aventure. The first three editions were broadcast in Canada and on international channels in more than 150 countries.
“The Canadian man/woman deserves to be known around the world, and that’s what happens,” Endurance Aventure co-founder and TV production director, Daniel Poirier, is excited. It is essential for us to immortalize our events and to allow more people to discover the places, through the gaze we place upon these majestic places. I would like to thank, on behalf of the entire team, the community of the Lac-Mégantic region, who once again this year contributed to the success of CANADA MAN/WOMAN. “