Why Hockey Player Marie-Philip Poulin May Just Win Her Third Olympic Gold
Updated: Feb. 15, 2018
Olympic hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin has had the honour of winning two gold medals for Canada — and this year she’s hoping to achieve her third.
To stay on top takes dedication, and that’s why Marie-Philip Poulin keeps on raising the bar
Even when you’re considered to be one of the best in your sport, that doesn’t mean you stop striving to do better. And according to Team Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin, there are no days off when it comes to achieving your goals.
Not only has Poulin won an Olympic Gold Medal for Canada, but she’s won two (Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014). “I strive to always be the best in order to help the future generation bring the game to a higher level. I’m constantly looking to raise the bar, that’s always been my goal.”
Poulin’s constant strive to improve herself in her sport has lead to her partnership with Tide and their “Raise the Bar” campaign. “I’m not planning on slowing down anytime soon, so it’s really cool to have a partner who has the same mentality on pushing yourself to keep getting better,” she says. “Their support of women’s sports and Olympic hockey is also amazing.”
Now taking on her third Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, she is hoping to bring home the gold once again.
Why it was important that she achieve her goal
“Since I was a little girl, winning a Gold Medal for Canada at the Olympics has always been my ultimate goal,” she says. “Hockey is my passion and I strive to be the best in the world and getting to win my first Gold in Vancouver, in my country was unbelievable! And then again in Sochi four years later — that was something I could never have dreamed of. Having won the last two Olympics was amazing. Now the real challenge is keep that title.”
This Olympian has the best strategy for crushing goals.
How she preps for the Olympics
“To prepare for the Olympic Winter Games, my routine included working out up to three times a day. We train extremely hard, year round in order to be the best country on the ice. Our training methods as a team have evolved, we work with the best trainers and incorporate new technology in the gym. We monitor things like nutrition, body composition and raise our mental focus to new heights.”
And for the past 10 months, the team has been centralized in Western Canada. “We spend every day training together and bonding as a team so we are prepared for any challenges The Games may bring,” she says.
What she’s learned
“I learned that the beauty is definitely in the journey and not the destination. The path to achieving your goals is where all the incredible moments happen, where relationships are built and where life lessons are learned,” she says. “In hindsight, I guess I would take the time to live in the moment a little bit more. It is easy to get caught up in the end result and not stop to smell the roses.”
Without dedication, there is no success
“I believe the formula for success comes down to being 100% dedicated and passionate about what you do. For myself, I spend a lot of time studying the game I love. If I were to stop being curious and passionate about getting better every day and learning about the game, I will know it’s time to hang up my skates. I spend a lot of time studying hockey, my opponents, analyzing systems and ways I can evolve both individually and as a team,” she says. “You can have all the talent in the world, but without hard work, passion and dedication, you will not achieve your highest goals. You have to make the decision every day to put the work in.”
On her partnership with Tide
“I’m really excited to be teaming up with Tide leading up to the Olympic Winter Games,” she says. “They are giving me a great platform to talk about what it means to raise the bar, and why it’s important to keep pushing yourself to get better, even when you are already considered to be one of the best. It’s fun to be working with a brand like Tide, who is already #1, and understands the dedication it takes to keep raising the bar to stay on top.”
“As part of the ‘Raise the Bar’ campaign there are also television and digital elements to celebrate the hard work and dedication it takes to stay on top. And we’re encouraging Canadians to get involved on social using #RaiseTheBar.”
The biggest tip she tells her friends
“I tell my friends the same thing I tell myself — to follow your dreams, whatever they are. They are your purpose in life and it’s important to live that out in its entirety because it is your own unique way of contributing to this world.”
As for her motto: “I also remind my friends to never stop pushing themselves to get better and always continue to dig deeper and set new goals.”
