Karen Cockburn and Mathieu Turgeon live in Stouffville, Ont., a quaint throwback of a town outside Toronto. It’s the kind of place with a general store and drivers who slow to a crawl when a pedestrian so much as considers crossing the street. Things are simple and busy. Turgeon is a chiropractor in nearby Scarborough. [...]
Each day at the Olympics fills up quickly with things to do. We basically have everything scheduled for the entire week leading up to our competition, from when we set our alarm in the morning to when we go to sleep. Once we’re up, it’s shower, get ready and pack our bag for the day. [...]
KAREN COCKBURN, TRAMPOLINE “I was at a teetering point in early 2010,” Karen Cockburn, the trampoline gymnast and one of Canada’s most decorated athletes, says of the time she briefly considered retirement. Then she tuned in to the Vancouver Olympics on TV, prompting any anxiety she may have felt about being an older contender (most [...]
Yesterday I arrived at the athlete village and went straight to lunch. The main dining hall is huge, lots of different foods. There is British/English, Mediterranean, Caribbean, African, Indian and Asian. There is so much choice! But I stick to what’s most similar to what I eat at home and stay on the strict healthy [...]
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio are going to feel a little peculiar, especially around the trampoline venue, because Karen Cockburn won’t be there. The 31-year-old Torontonian heads into London as the only trampoline gymnast to reach the podium in all three Games in which trampoline has been a medal sport. She won bronze in [...]
What is your first childhood memory of the Olympics? What athlete has inspired you the most? What has been your most memorable sporting moment to date? What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve had to make to reach this level? What does it mean to you to represent your country in London?
