Alex Harvey
Return to a champion course
In his recent biography Alex Harvey, The Prince, written by journalist Simon Drouin, Alex Harvey looks back on his exceptional career. The most decorated Canadian cross-country skier in history, a five-time FIS World Championship medalist, he has 20 World Cup podiums to his name. If this book allows him to remember his victories, Alex Harvey also reveals the behind the scenes of high-level sport, and expresses himself on all subjects: family, friendship, love, doping, money, sports politics, etc. Meet this outstanding athlete who is now a lawyer.
AT YOUR HOUSE, SPORT WAS A FAMILY AFFAIR. YOUR MOTHER WAS A SPORTS DOCTOR AND YOUR FATHER THE ATHLETE WE KNOW [PIERRE HARVEY IS THE FIRST CANADIAN TO WIN A CROSS-COUNTRY WORLD CUP VICTORY]. LIKE OBELIX, DID YOU FALL INTO IT AS A CHILD?
Yes, this passion for sport goes even beyond my immediate family, since the street where I grew up and where I live today with my partner and my daughter is home to several Olympians in cross-country skiing and cycling. It's a neighborhood where there are a lot of athletes. So it was normal for me to do sports.
READING YOUR BOOK, YOU GET THE IMPRESSION THAT YOUR JOURNEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT THE TRIO YOU FORMED WITH LOUIS BOUCHARD, YOUR COACH, AND DEVON KERSHAW, YOUR TEAMMATE. IS SUCCESS A TEAM AFFAIR?
Absolutely. Although performance itself is individual, top athletes spend the majority of the year training for competitions, traveling far from home. Their teammates and coaches are part of their daily life. Without them, they could not achieve their goals. Moreover, during my last season, several of my teammates retired and this greatly affected my enjoyment of traveling and training.
WERE THE OLYMPIC GAMES, YOU SAY, AN INACCESSIBLE DREAM? EVEN IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN ON THE PODIUM, WHAT MEMORIES DO YOU KEEP OF YOUR THREE PARTICIPATIONS?
I have three different memories of it. The Vancouver Olympic Games inevitably remain my fondest memory, because they were the first, in our country no less. Devon and I got a fourth place finish when no one expected us. We created a surprise. The Sochi Games were marred by the media crisis I experienced regarding the equipment, which I return to in the book. As for the Pyeongchang Games, they remain a very good memory since I achieved some of the best performances of my career there.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST VICTORY FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW?
From a strictly statistical point of view, it is my title of world champion over 50 km in Finland in 2017. But from an emotional point of view, it is my victory on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec in 2017 Even though it was only a World Cup event, the fact remains that the competitors were the same.
YOU TALK WITHOUT TABOO ABOUT THE MONEY YOU HAVE EARNED DURING YOUR CAREER. WHY DID YOU ADDRESS THIS SUBJECT SO FRANKLY?
We still have a lot of trouble talking about money in Quebec. I am proud to have been able to make a living from my sport and I wanted to send the message that it is possible to do it if you are well surrounded. Besides, the objective of this book in general is for people to learn more about me, but also about the world of high-level sport. Simon [Drouin] and I wanted to show my successes, but also the other side of the coin. Good sponsorship deals involve performing well. To do this, you have to train far from home and live the life of a monk.
YOU ARE TODAY A LAWYER. DO YOU CONTINUE TO PRACTICE CERTAIN SPORTS?
Yes, I just got back from a fat bike ride. I still often go cross-country skiing in the winter. In the summer, I go mountain biking and trail running. I am also spokesperson for the Snow Pentathlon in Quebec. This year I participated in a triathlon for the first time. And with my law firm, we participated in the corporate challenge and we won! It's a great pride!
YOU HAVE A TWO-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER. DOES SHE ALREADY SKI? AT THE END OF THE BOOK, YOU SAY YOU'RE NOT SURE YOU WANT SHE TO COMPETE LATER, WHY?
She has started alpine skiing, but cross-country skiing will be next year! As for the competition, neither my partner nor I will push it. The world of sport is very demanding and can cause psychological distress. If she wants to compete later, it will have to come from her.
