Page 26 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 53

26 April 2017 Issue #53 www.sportsenergynews.com

SHINES

THE

SPOTLIGHT ON
1397 Brookdale Ave.,

Cornwall OUR MEMBERS

John St. Marseille Talks Multisport

By Molly Kett existed let alone to be swimming at
that hour,” says St. Marseille. “Fast
ohn St. Marseille is a professional forward a few years, I was thrilled to be
Jengineer and geoscientist who recognized as the club’s ‘Multisport
has been employed for the last four Athlete of the Year’ in 2006 and
years as the City of Cornwall’s GM, then in 2010, I was on the podium
Infrastructure & Municipal Works. for the ‘Cornwall Nasty’, a morning
St. Marseille is very passionate competition featuring a variety of
about his work, as he says “It is very endurance swim events followed
humbling and rewarding to be part of by a 5 km run. The recognition
a great team with responsibility for the meant a lot to me and I could not
City’s infrastructure and to contribute have accomplished this without the
to advancing and improving the inspiration and infectious motivation
services and urban experience for our from the club’s members.”
citizens and visitors to our city.”
St. Marseille was inspired to
St. Marseille’s work, though, isn’t get active initially after his return

the only thing he’s passionate about. to Cornwall following time at
Being active is another passion of university, where he says he maxed
his; one that he shares with his wife out at 204 lbs. “Apart from desiring a
Margaret of nearly 30 years and his regular fitness routine, I was looking
three daughters. They have all been for like-minded individuals to train
members of the Multisport Club in with and in particular to motivate me.
Cornwall since its inception in 2004. Apart from physical fitness, there is a
positive mental well-being benefit as
“My introduction to triathlon was
well,” says St. Marseille.
actually at the ‘Cornwall Games’ in
1997. We swam at Mille Roches Since day one, St. Marseille has
Beach in Long Sault then cycled to been active in the Cornwall Multisport
Cornwall,” says St. Marseille. “I Club, including volunteering as a
John participating in the Cornwall Duathlon. Photo Submitted
was new to the sport and understood board member for a handful of years
that my running shoes would be as well as taking on the role of club
stop,” says St. Marseille. “The City Island, was such a rush,” says St.
transferred to the Cornwall transition secretary. St. Marseille is a firm
and surrounding area have benefited Marseille. “The murky water was
zone in time for the run. Well they believer that multisport has a positive
financially - with various fundraisers 52°F and I wondered what sea
didn’t, so I ran barefoot – 7 km – impact on his community.
along the bike path. I still managed a - but also with the positive attitude creatures may be lurking, based
“Besides Margaret and the girls, I and energy that emanates from these on the lore of Alcatraz, and the
4m40s per km pace but I have never
run barefoot again. I was smitten owe my sporting accomplishments athletes.” current was very strong. The San
to the Multisport Club. I was a Francisco skyline from the tour
with triathlons though.” Through multisport, St. Marseille
less-than-inspired and sedentary boat was incredible. The bike
St. Marseille says that “chance person. Members of the Multisport has had some incredible experiences
such as Ironman distance triathlons and run were very hilly and took
encounters” brought him to the Club, sometimes in very subtle
at Lake Placid and Penticton as well us around and under the Golden
Multisport Club. “I swam at lunch ways, inspire and motivate persons
as competing in the Boston and Gate Bridge and its namesake
hours at the old Kinsmen Centre of all abilities and ages to challenge
New York City Marathons, but his state park.”
in the early 1990’s until some new themselves. I have learned through
experience with the Escape from
swim friends and I thought we should various members about the mental Currently, St. Marseille is
Alcatraz Triathlon was one of his
move up to a 25 metre pool. The side of training and competing. If you training for the Ottawa Marathon.
most major accomplishments.
Kinsmen Centre had a 25-yard pool, can train your mind – your muscles He encourages prospective club
so we switched to NavCan and 6 am will follow. The team spirit of group “The 2.4 km swim, diving off of members to check out the club’s
starts. That was a profound change training carries you across the abyss a large tour boat in the middle of website. Talk to current members
as I didn’t realize that time of day - when you may otherwise want to San Francisco Bay, near Alcatraz and get inspired, too.