Hayden Mayeur is a young canadian speed skater. He speaks of his sports, like cycling and speed skating, and he speaks of his athlete's life. Hayden, maybe a future olympic champion in Beijing 2022.
Who is Hayden Mayeur?
I was born and raised in Toronto, ON and moved out to Calgary, AB at the age of 17 on invitation from the Short Track program. One year later, I made the switch over to Long Track as my road cycling background proved to have more of an advantage focusing on longer distances. Presently, I am a member of the Canadian National Team under the NextGen program.
You are both cyclist (track and road), and speed skater, why did you choose these disciplines?
I began road cycling following my first season as a Short Track Speed Skater back in 2013. It was originally intended to simply be a method of cross training during the summer however, I fell in love with road racing quite rapidly. Next thing I knew, I was regularly competing in short track during the Winter and on the road in the Summer. I continue to race road in Cat 1/2 to this date but at a lesser frequency as my progression in Long Track has reached a point where it requires my at most attention and focus. My priority has and will continue to remain on the ice, but I continue to enjoy rolling up to the start line for a road race when I can. It is a great way to maintain strong cardio and a competitive mindset throughout the off season.
Are these disciplines complementary?
Which one do you feel more comfortable with? Cycling and Speed Skating are very much complimentary sports. This is why you see so many skaters around the world riding road almost daily throughout the summer months and quite regularly during the winter as well. It is an excellent way to grow your heart and build a strong aerobic base. Not to forget, road cycling, like speed skating, is a sport that focuses mainly on the muscle groups in your lower body. With enough kilometres, its an excellent way for long middle/long distance skaters to put on some lean muscle mass.
I was born and raised in Toronto, ON and moved out to Calgary, AB at the age of 17 on invitation from the Short Track program. One year later, I made the switch over to Long Track as my road cycling background proved to have more of an advantage focusing on longer distances. Presently, I am a member of the Canadian National Team under the NextGen program.
You are both cyclist (track and road), and speed skater, why did you choose these disciplines?
I began road cycling following my first season as a Short Track Speed Skater back in 2013. It was originally intended to simply be a method of cross training during the summer however, I fell in love with road racing quite rapidly. Next thing I knew, I was regularly competing in short track during the Winter and on the road in the Summer. I continue to race road in Cat 1/2 to this date but at a lesser frequency as my progression in Long Track has reached a point where it requires my at most attention and focus. My priority has and will continue to remain on the ice, but I continue to enjoy rolling up to the start line for a road race when I can. It is a great way to maintain strong cardio and a competitive mindset throughout the off season.
Are these disciplines complementary?
Which one do you feel more comfortable with? Cycling and Speed Skating are very much complimentary sports. This is why you see so many skaters around the world riding road almost daily throughout the summer months and quite regularly during the winter as well. It is an excellent way to grow your heart and build a strong aerobic base. Not to forget, road cycling, like speed skating, is a sport that focuses mainly on the muscle groups in your lower body. With enough kilometres, its an excellent way for long middle/long distance skaters to put on some lean muscle mass.
© Various - Give by Hayden Mayeur
You just joined "The lead out project", can you tell us more about this "project"?
The Leadout Project is a semi-professional road cycling team based out of of the province Alberta. It consists of a group of Alberta’s top elite cyclists who compete together with one goal in mind, that is getting more kids racing bikes! It has been an awesome opportunity thus far to race on the team this season. Everyone has a very professional mindset when they come to the start line but also know how to have fun when its time.
Can you describe us a typical week of training?
On average we train 6 days a week, Monday-Saturday with Sunday taken as a rest day. During the off season, like most, we focus greatly on aerobic volume, technique, and down time in basic position. When the ice is put back in at the Olympic Oval, we generally will skate in the morning and then start up again in the afternoon with a bike ride, imitations, inline, etc. Following the second session, most would normally go back home to stretch, roll-out, eat, and recover for the following day.
What are the hardest things you have to deal with as a speed skater?
At this level in sport, I would not necessarily say the speed skating itself has challenging things to deal with. The challenges that lay before an athlete are up to him/her to divide and conquer. I can tell you right now that anyone within the National Program, including myself, is there because they want to be there and because they chose to pursue a career in high performance sport. No one is obligated to show up to practice in the morning but we all do because we strive to reach the very top in amateur sport, that being a spot on the Olympic podium. As an individual, if there was one thing I would consider somewhat of a challenge as an athlete, it would be to stay on top of my recovery. Being sure to eat the right foods, get the proper amount of sleep and care for not only your muscles, but your whole body is extremely crucial to be able to perform on a daily basis.
© BChrist Photography
Do you receive any help in order to keep studying while you build your sports career?
My parents have been supporting me greatly through my athletic career thus far. With an RESP that has been growing since I was a child, I am able to attend University as time permits. I am also now receiving tuition assistance from the Sport Canada Athlete Assistance Program which will further aid in my education.
What kind of studies do you do or would you like to do, and do you imagine taking a break from your sports career to carry on studies?
Presently, I am pursuing a degree in International Relations at the University of Calgary. It’s very challenging, however, to take a full course load every semester with the amount of training that we undergo daily. I have been attending class whenever possible and will continue my studies at a pace that fits in with my training program. My focus remains on the ice so I do not plan on taking a break from skating until the day I choose to retire. My intentions down the road, post athletic career, are to become an Air Traffic Controller at a major airport in Canada.
© Various - Give by Hayden Mayeur
Are you financially supported by the federation, clubs, sponsors?
I have personal philanthropic sponsors that support my journey as a full-time athlete. In addition to this, I am supported on a yearly basis by the Ontario Provincial Association. This upcoming season (2018/2019) will be my first season where I am also supported by the National Athlete Assistance Program.
What are your goals for the future?
Presently, my focus is to adapt to the new training programs and gain as much as I can from this off season in order to enter into the fall feeling strong. Several of us have been moved into a new group with Canada’s top middle/long distance skaters so the training load has increased, but it’s an amazing opportunity to train alongside and learn from some of the very best in the World. Whilst I am working to qualify onto the Senior World Cup Team in the near future, my ultimate long-term goal is to qualify onto the Beijing 2022 Canadian Olympic Long Track Team.
By Luca Saisset