Joannie Rochette Courageously Skates On

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

NBC Winter Olympics studio host Bob Costas interviewed Canadian ladies figure skater Joannie Rochette, who won bronze despite the passing of her mother just days before the competition

Costas:

"How did you decide that you would go ahead [and skate]."

Rochette:

"When I first heard the news at 6 am, I told my federation right away that I would skate.

I had to skate. The only thing I knew I could do at that moment to feel alive was to get on the ice.

There were lots of ups and downs. There were some moments when I just wanted to go home and see my family and be with my friends. I didn't feel like skating but I knew I wanted to do this so 10 years from now I'd have no regrets. And that's what my mom would've wanted me to do."

Costas:

"Everyone speculated, it's only natural, what must she be feeling? But I heard you say afterwards that you had to put those feelings aside and 'I had to become cold,' using your words, and 'become Joannie, the athlete, and not the person.'"

Rochette:

"That's right. It was very tough for me in the short program to do that. I was very emotional right when I stepped on the ice.

The crowd was so warm, they were so nice cheering me on. I got so many messages from around the world, not only in Canada. Those messages really touched me and really gave me the strength to carry on and compete anyways. But it was hard to stay in my bubble and listen to my music because my head was in a million places but not on the ice.

I don't know how I managed to skate a good short program like I did. But after the short program, I just told myself, if you're going to keep competing, I want to do it fully.

That's what my mom always taught me.

Whenever you do something in life, whatever it is, you do it until the end and give it your best shot."

Costas:

"Once you had performed so well and you won the bronze medal, you were standing there on the podium. And I read afterwards that you said, 'I imagined myself as a five-year-old girl because I had imagined this moment, holding an Olympic medal, since I was five years old.'"

Rochette:

"Yes, I imagined this moment for so long. I didn't imagine those kind of tears of course.

I was very sad that there was one person in the stands that wasn't there to applaud me. But my family was there and my father was there. And for them, I wanted to be there and it was very tough. And I wanted to be strong for my father and just make him stronger at the same time."

Costas:

"Congratulations on your performance and, again, our condolences on your loss."

Joannie Rochette

Joannie Rochette is a retired Canadian figure skater who was born on January 13, 1986, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is best known for her performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where she won the bronze medal just days after her mother's sudden death.

Rochette began skating at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks of Canadian figure skating. She won her first national championship in 2005 and went on to compete in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, as well as multiple World Championships and Grand Prix events.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Rochette's mother, Therese, died suddenly from a heart attack just days before the women's figure skating competition. Despite her grief, Rochette decided to compete and delivered a stunning performance that earned her the bronze medal. Her emotional and inspiring performance captured the hearts of fans around the world and earned her widespread admiration and respect.

After the Olympics, Rochette continued to skate competitively for several years before retiring in 2014. She has since become a television commentator and is involved in various charitable and philanthropic endeavors. Rochette remains an inspiration to many for her resilience, determination, and grace under pressure.

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2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games
Joannie Rochette Courageously Skates On