TRK - Athlete Spotlight : Patrick LeRoux
With cross-country season coming to its end last month, the indoor track and field season has begun. For third year Sport and Physical Education student Patrick LeRoux from Wingham, Ontario, the second half of the season comes with more hours of practice and various challenges.
In grade five, LeRoux started cross-country running with his school, but only began to take it seriously in grade ten. "I started to do it because at first, it was one of the more popular things to do in my area at the time, and I realized it's pretty fun, so I kept with it," he said.
Cross-country running and indoor track are two sports that require many hours of training, whether at the gym, on the track, or in the trails. This sport has taught Leroux patience, discipline, and perseverance. "With running, it can take a bit to get faster, so you just have to stay consistent, and eventually all the training will pay off" he commented. Although these are skills he uses in everyday life, there are also several challenges brought on by these two sports. "The biggest challenge I've had to face is just staying healthy. I've had a variety of injuries, including a stress fracture last year, which led to me not being able to train consistently for a long period of time" he said. This can make it fairly difficult for cross-country athletes to stay consistent and reach their goals.
Since he started competing for the Voyageurs, LeRoux mentioned that the best part of representing the school is the great atmosphere. "My teams weren't massive coming up, so having an actual team environment and people cheering you on is a really awesome feeling," he said. Along with this, LeRoux's accomplishments last season were helpful to his teams and his long-term goals, as he helped the men's cross-country team back into the top ten of the OUA conference. On a personal note, he set multiple personal bests throughout the season, including having two minutes off of his 6km personal best.
It is also advantageous that he motivates himself to practice his sport whenever possible. "The main thing that motivates me is to prove to myself that I belong at this level and that I can compete at the highest level that I possibly can" he mentioned.
Like most athletes, LeRoux has set some long-term goals since being with the Voyageurs. "My long-term goals are to help my team get back to the U Sports Championships, and step more into a leadership role to help out my teammates," he said. Although he believes this will take dedication, he is certain the goal is achievable for the future.
Being a student-athlete comes with many responsibilities, especially regarding time management and having a balance. However, this was an easy adaptation for LeRoux. "Since my high school schedule was busy, it helped me with time management skills. This has allowed me to allocate time for everything that I need, especially regarding my courses and training schedule" he affirmed.
To wrap things up, with indoor track and field season in full force, LeRoux is looking to break the 4:05 mark in the 1500m and 9 minutes in the 3000m race. In his concluding comments, he would like to thank everyone who has helped him along the way. He will hit the track this Saturday, at the Don Wright Invitational hosted by Western University.
-Madison Boileau