Photo credits : Canadian Olympic Committee / Photo courtesy of Laurence Fournier-Beaudry & Nikolaj Sørensen / Skate Canada / Radio-Canada

Q. What was your biggest challenge in qualifying for the Beijing 2022 Games?
A. “Dealing with Nicolaj’s serious injury in the last two years leading up to the qualification for the Games. We had an entire season where Nikolaj was experiencing severe knee pain, limiting our on-ice training significantly for several months. After many medical opinions, the decision was made to operate Nikolaj’s knee in the middle of our season. A very difficult decision to make! The return to training and rehabilitation following this surgery forged our resilience and perseverance as a couple to secure our ticket to the Beijing Olympics.”

Q. What motivates you to train everyday?
A. “Our motivation is our desire to be better every day. We love to workout and want to become better athletes and better people. Our goal is to continually challenge ourselves and evolve by putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations in order to improve our results. We hope to inspire the next generation of athletes. Our determination comes from our passion that has grown over time and is still growing today!”

Q. After the disappointment of not being able to participate in the last Olympic Games for the Danish team, how did you feel on the ice as members of Team Canada?
A. “We are both big believers in the quote “Everything happens for a reason”. All of the challenges we have overcome in our career have led us to have wonderful experiences and broaden our perception of what is really possible if we really want it. Our decision to represent Canada and to qualify among the best athletes of this country for the Games fills us with pride and gratitude. We are grateful for all the support we have had to achieve these memorable moments.”

Q. How do you deal with victory and defeat?
A. “We see defeat as a learning experience. We take the time to analyze what went wrong so we can redirect our efforts and come out even stronger. As for the win, we take the time to celebrate, because as high-performance athletes, we are continually looking to determine what needs to be improved!”

Q. What activities do you practice to relax and take your mind off things?
Laurence: “My biggest passion outside of training is cooking. I love creating new dishes, without following recipes, and especially without having a plan or pre-chosen or pre-bought ingredients for a recipe. To create a great meal, with a fridge nearly empty …I consider that an achievement! [Laughs] I also love doing all kinds of activities with my family (cross-country skiing, running, swimming, biking, etc.) and spending quality time with them.”
Nicolaj: “I have a pretty unique passion for knife making techniques. I love being in my workshop and unplugging from training days by immersing myself in this creative and manual process of it. I also love connecting with my Danish friends and family who live in Denmark via video conference or online chatting.”

Q. What do you like most about your sport?
A. “The most interesting thing about our sport is the aspact of sharing moments with a partner. The training, challenges, difficult moments, learnings, victories, as well as all the multi-faceted of figure skating, whether it is the technical, challenging, artistic, or relational aspects.”

Q. How do you manage your stress before a competition?
A. “We have very good communication and know how to support each other during these times of intense stress. Good pre-competition preparation during training allows us to be confident in our ability to compete and to better manage our stress. We also use mediation and visualization to help us stay concentrate.”

Q. Do you have a ritual before a competition?
A. “Before a competition, my mom always bakes us a lucky healthy brownie to bring with us to help with our sugar cravings. During training and competition days, we also take time to connect with each other and practice gratitude exercises, so that we can really be together and focused during our performances.”