Birthdate: May 27 1992
Hometown: Trois-Rivières
Canoe Club: Trois-Rivières Canoe-Kayak Club
Sport: Women’s canoe
Coach: Mathieu Pelletier
Laurence started paddling in 2005 at the Trois-Rivières Canoe Club, and she has established herself as arguably the best female canoer in the world.
She stepped onto the international scene in 2010 and won two gold medals at the World Championships. She repeated her results in 2011 and won another two gold medals in C1 200 and C2 500 with her partner Mallorie Nicholson and again in 2013 with partner Sara-Jane Caumartin. She also became the inaugural Under 23 World Champion in 2013. The streak continued, as Laurence won gold at Worlds in 2014, and again in 2017 in C2 500m and C1 200m.
Laurence currently holds the world record for C1 200m with a time of 44.502 seconds posted at World Cup #1 of 2018 in Szeged, Hungary. She also holds the world record with partner Katie Vincent in C2 500m, with a time of 1:51.428 seconds posted at that same event.
Laurence has been a big voice in advocating for the inclusion of women’s canoe on the Olympic programme and her efforts have paid off- C2 500m and C1 200m disciplines were added to the Olympic schedule for Tokyo 2020! Laurence is hungry for an Olympic medal.
FOLLOW THIS ATHLETE:
Instagram: @laurence_vincentlapointe
FUN FACTS:
First year on the national team:
2010
What are you most proud of?
My stubborness
Objectives for the coming years?
Gold medals in the Olympics (my dream)
Why is paddling the best sport?
It’s a sport where you can feel free, powerful and be outside all the time, can you ask for more?
Canoe or Kayak, why?
Canoe, duh. I just cannot stand to be on my butt for that long.
When was your first race?
Probably in 2004, I most likely didn’t finish in my boat.
What is your best memory about the sport?
All the afternoon with my friends that allowed my to become who I am now.
What is the biggest challenge about your sport?
Balance.
Describe the sport in one word:
Power
Nickname: Lau
Quote: Everyone will hurt at the end of the race, the one who will win is the one that can accept it and keep going past that.
Role model: Dave Frost
Favourite training: Beside paddling? Weights.
Pre-race meal: Something sweet and salty.
Post-race meal: Something good.
Off season interest(s): Spending time with my family and friends (I rarely get to see them)
Other sport(s): Synchronized swimming, water polo (for fun)
Guilty pleasure: Binge watching netflix
Superhero: Wonder Woman
TV show: Brooklyn nine-nine
Movie: The Illusionist
Book: Wheel of time
Band: Panic!At the Disco
