Philippe Marquis, Canadian Olympic Moguls Skier, Races to Join #ClimateComeback as EcoAthletes Champion

Dealing with bumps and bruises was part of Canadian Philippe Marquis’ daily grind as a world class moguls skier. He persevered through disappointments and injury, eventually becoming an Olympian. The ability to deal with those ups and downs has prepared the Quebec City native well for his next challenge, sparking the #ClimateComeback as an EcoAthletes Champion.

“I know my carbon footprint is high from travel and that the energy used to create manmade snow is massive,” Marquis acknowledged. “I also know that making the changes we need to make so we can deal with climate change won’t be easy. But they still need to be done. That’s I’m very excited to join the EcoAthletes Champions network that’s committed to driving climate action. It will be a long road but I’m ready for it.”

The long road that led Marquis to the Olympics and to the EcoAthletes Champions roster began on a small mountain near his home.

“My parents bought a cabin on the mountain when I was born and so, I was on skis when I was two and a half years old,” noted Marquis. “My brother Vincent — he’s five years older than I am — blazed the athletic trail for me by getting into moguls. He got into the first freestyle program on the mountain and followed him when I was seven. I loved to jump, ski the bumps, and watching ski movies. The unstructured nature of freestyle skiing[1] and the community feeling grabbed me as well.”

Vincent continued to blaze the trail for his younger brother, finishing 4th in moguls at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Philippe followed, making the Quebec provincial moguls squad in 2004 at 15, and the Canadian National Team two years later.

“I felt like I was on the way to fulfilling my Olympic dream; once Vincent got to Vancouver, I knew I could do it, too” Marquis recalled. “It would take a lot of work, and I was ready to commit to it. Thankfully, the Canadian team gave me the time I needed to develop. It just took me awhile to get there.”

While Marquis ‘got there’ at Sochi 2014 (“I was the 3rd-4th guy on the squad, there was no pressure, it was cool to be part of Team Canada”), Pyeongchang 2018 was his real target when it came to medal contention. From 2015 and 2017, he finished 3rd, 4th, and 4th in the world. So, he was in perfect position to make a run for the podium at the Olympics.

And then, 30 days before the Opening Ceremonies, Marquis tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

“I was training well, working hard to try to beat my teammate, friendly rival, and all-time great Mikaël Kingsbury, and then I got hurt,” shared Marquis. “I thought I was done but, for some reason, it didn’t swell that much. I still wanted to give it a go. So, I kept on training, despite having a torn ACL in one of the most demanding sports on the knee joint. I was no longer a medal contender, which was crushing, but I also changed my perspective on what success would look like and that was to qualify for the final. I was able to realize that goal. And, while I did end up falling, the team support for me was incredible.”

Marquis, who retired from competitive moguls skiing after Pyeongchang to pursue a coaching career, had a chance meeting on a chair lift that jumpstarted his interest in using his platform to lead climate action.

“I happened to sit next to Mike Douglas, then Chair of Protect Our Winters (POW) Canada,” Marquis recalled. “He invited me to join their athletes’ alliance. A lifelong environmentalist, I accepted immediately. From there, I built my climate change knowledge base by reading more, watching documentaries, and listening to experts. I feel a great responsibility to make a difference on climate, especially since I coach a lot of kids. I want to do what I can to give them the chance to have a livable, a ski-able climate.”

EcoAthletes CEO and founder Lew Blaustein is certain that the charismatic Marquis, the nonprofit’s newest Champion, will help accelerate the #ClimateComeback.

Marquis, the nonprofit’s newest Champion, will help accelerate the #ClimateComeback.

“Philippe brought a unique combination of passion, perseverance and a willingness to push the envelope to the ski slopes,” Blaustein offered. “EcoAthletes will benefit from those qualities, as well as his curiosity and relatability. We are lucky to have him on the Champions roster.”

 You can follow Philippe on Instagram and Twitter

[1] Freestyle skiing includes moguls, aerial, Big Air, half-pipe and slopestyle