|
Meloche during the height
of her career
(summer 2002) |
Montreal native Vanessa Meloche began her international career back in 1997 when she was just twelve years old. In the following years, Meloche would add several other international competitions to her resume, most notably the 2002 Commonwealth Games, where she came home with three bronze medals (team, vault, and uneven bars). Throughout her career, she went through two major coaching changes, as well as several injuries, including a torn ACL, which dashed her Olympic aspirations earlier this year.
In this Gymn.ca exclusive interview, Meloche discusses her gymnastics career this far, as well as her goals for the future.
Personal Facts:
Date of Birth: July 16, 1985, Montreal, QC
Residence: Toronto, ON
Family : Parents Monique, Pierre; sister Melissa
School : Northview Heights Secondary School
Favorite Gymnast: Lilya Podkopayeva of the Ukraine
Favorite T.V. Show: Friends
Favorite Movie: Rocky
Favorite Music: Coldplay, U2, Bryan Adams, John Mayer, Evanescence
Favorite Food: Apples
Best Results:
1996 Canadian Championships, Novice: 7th AA
1997 Pan American Invitational: 3rd Team, 8th AA, 2nd V
1997 Canadian Championships, Junior: 9th AA
1998 Elite Canada, Junior: 4th AA
1998 Wild Rose International, Junior: 9th AA, 3rd V
1998 Canadian Championships, Junior: 4th AA
1998 Elite Canada, Junior: 4th AA
1998 Canberra Cup: 18th AA
1999 Canada Winter Games: 9th AA, 1st V
1999 Gymnix International, Junior: 2nd AA, 1st V, 1st UB, 2nd BB
1999 Elite Canada, Senior: 3rd AA
2000 Canadian Championships, Senior: 9th AA
2000 Junior Pan Am Championships: 4th Team, 16th AA, 5th V, 6th UB
2000 Romanian International: 17th AA
2000 Elite Canada, Senior: 2nd AA
2001 Elite Canada, Senior: 11th AA, 3rd UB, 8th BB
2002 Wild Rose International: 3rd V, 3rd BB
2002 Parkette Invitational: 1st Team, 4th AA
2002 Canadian Championships, Senior: 3rd AA, 2nd V, 1st UB
2002 Commonwealth Games: 3rd Team, 3rd V, 3rd UB
2003 Elite Canada: 1st UB
Gymn.ca: You had a very successful junior career under the Michel Charron at Gym-Richelieu. How did he help you move from a beginner to being one of the best gymnasts in Canada?
Vanessa Meloche: Michel and I worked hard together and never gave up on each other. It was all about being the best that I could be and I believe that we accomplished great things together.
Gymn.ca: You had the opportunity to train alongside Veronique Leclerc, 1997 World Championships team member. What was that like, and how hard was it to see her come short of making the 2000 Olympic team after struggling with many different injuries?
VM: Being the youngest of the group was difficult for me at times but Vero was always there to support me every step of the way. She had the energy and passion that some gymnasts don’t have and because of her I started to like gymnastics more and more even if things got demanding. She was a great influence and I will always look up to her. Unfortunately she had to deal with some injuries which put her out of the Olympics and that was very hard on all of us at Gym-Richelieu. We were all happy that she received a full gymnastics scholarship at Utah, though.
Gymn.ca: You left long time coach Michel Charron at the end of 2000. What made it clear in your mind that you needed a change in your gymnastics life, even after an impressive second place all-around at the 2000 Elite Canada?
VM: Michel was a great coach and I appreciate everything he did for me but I felt that I needed something more. I wasn’t sure what that little something was at the time except that I wanted to progress a little faster and develop greater skills and more difficulty.
Gymn.ca: How did you find out about Parkettes, one of the most successful programmes in the United-States, and what made you decide that moving there was the right move for you?
VM: I found out about Parkettes during the time that I had a small issue with my right foot and a friend recommended that I go see a specialist in Pennsylvania. We had driven all the way there so I thought I should try out the Parkettes training centre during one of their camps. What a privilege that was! My spirits went right up and I felt like I was a kid again. I was smiling all the time.
|
hamming it up for the camera
during a training camp |
Gymn.ca: How hard was it to leave behind friends and family in Montreal?
VM: It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life! My sister was finishing up her university when I left and I only had one more year before I was going to graduate from high school with my friends. I made the decision that if I was going to make it to the Olympics and if moving is what it took, then I would make sacrifices, and I did. I had to leave behind my best friend Bryan Milonja, who is one of the best trampolinists in Canada and that was hard. We still keep in touch often and I realized that true friends will always be your friends forever. I don’t know what I would do without my family and friends because they are always there to support and encourage me, no matter what happens.
Gymn.ca: On the positive side of things, you must have made many new friends in Pennsylvania. Who were you most close to during your stay?
VM: Kristal (Uzelac), Nicole (Harris), Tia (Orlando), Brooke (Borso) were my closest friends during my journey in Pennsylvania. We all shared the same passion for the sport and we were able to push each other during bad times and cheer for one another. We were like a family and nothing could have separated us. Even though I was from Canada and couldn’t speak English at all at the time, they helped me learn little by little…even though they made fun of me and my accent most of the time (laughs).
Gymn.ca: Mr. and Mrs. Bill and Donna Strauss, head coaches at Parkettes, are known to be very close to their gymnasts, yet very strict. Is this true?
VM: Yes, of course, otherwise they wouldn’t have had all those great gymnasts. Mr. Strauss is like a big teddy bear. Everyone loves him and if you ever have a problem in gymnastics or your personal life he would always be there for you and tried to work things out. But when a gymnast was not training at her best, then yes he could be quite strict. But we knew that it was for the best because we were the ones who were not producing in the gym and sometimes it is good to have someone to wake us up! Mrs. Strauss was probably the most strict coach in the gym and I believe that she is an inspiration to everyone. She wants the gymnasts to be the best they can be and work like a champion. She expects us to work our butts off if we want results, and that was good for me.
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competing at 01 Elite Canada
while training at Parkettes |
Gymn.ca: You had many other coaches at Parkettes, right? How did you get used to that type of environment?
VM: Yes, in fact I had a few more coaches such as Robin, Solomon and John…it was quite challenging at first but it was also fun to have different opinions. Every coach has a different eye for certain things. Every coach is unique in (his or her) own way. Solomon and I usually traveled together and we were quite a team!
Gymn.ca: Why did you have to miss Canadian nationals in 2001?
VM: At the time of nationals I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in my right foot. My doctor in Pennsylvania decided that it was better for me to rest it and see how everything went. Well it turned out things didn’t go as planned and the fracture got to the point that I could no longer run. Surgery was the only option and they inserted a screw in my navicular.
Gymn.ca: So ultimately, the surgery on your ankle cost you a chance at making the 2001 Worlds team. How did you deal with that?
VM: Andrei, our national coach, and I sat down together prior to the surgery and discussed the issue. Worlds in 2001 was a goal in which I had been working for a long time, and it was very hard for me to accept that my health was the most important issue. The national coach wanted me back on my feet again. I missed the opportunity to go to Worlds but I came back stronger and hungrier than ever!
Gymn.ca: Your first meet back in Canada while training at Parkettes was at the 2001 Elite Canada, where despite some mistakes, you were in excellent physical shape with well composed routines and high start values. What can you remember from that meet?
VM: Well, I remember being very nervous and also being in pain because of my ankle. I had surgery only two and a half months before the competition, and had only been training for about a month. Let’s just say I wasn’t exactly routine ready. On vault I only did a handspring front piked, because of the ankle. My bars had a lot more flight than before and I had some new interesting skills and combinations, which no one did in Canada. I had more time to prepare for this event. Beam was really shaky but I made finals and I gave everyone a little scare with my unique dismount (laughs when reminded of when she missed her foot on the beam after her attempt at a double back dismount in finals). On floor, I did a 1 ½ twist through to double piked and an Arabian double front in the same routine, with new choreography. Overall it was a good come back and I was excited to compete on all four events. I think all of the hours of conditioning Parkettes had me do during my recovering time helped me a lot!
Gymn.ca: Leading up to Canadian nationals in 2002, you won medals at two international events : the Wildrose International and the Parkette Invitational. During this time you received a lot of media and fan attention not only because you were producing world-class gymnastics, but because you were a Canadian athlete training in the United Sates. How did you react to this and what sorts of reactions did you get from the Canadian gymnastics community?
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performing in front of a home crowd
at 02 Gymnix International |
VM: It was exciting to know that people were interested in learning more about the Canadian girl who was training in the United States. The national coach had the opportunity to come and visit me at Parkettes and the coaches always said that I was such a hard worker. Canada was very supportive and I would like to thank them. I remember many of the Canadian girls and coaches were so curious to know why I was training in another country! They wanted to know how different it was and how the coaches were compared to Canada.
Gymn.ca: At Canadian nationals that year, you placed 3rd despite falls from the beam in the all-around. You also took home a gold and a silver medal in the event finals on uneven bars and vault. How did it feel to be on top of the national podium again?
VM: It felt amazing! Commonwealth Games were right at the door and I believed that it was my time to show the world what I was made of. I came into nationals with even more difficutly including a new style vault for me, the Yurchenko full, and a piked full in on floor. My foot still hurt alot but I was getting the job done and wanted to make the Commenwealth team no matter what.
Gymn.ca: Let’s talk about the Commonwealth Games. After enduring the selection camps despite having a sore ankle, you were named to compete on vault and bars in England for the team. You came home a triple bronze medallist (team, vault and uneven bars). How much of an honour was it to finally compete for Canada in a major international competition?
VM: It was, and still is, the most memorable competition of my career. All the work finally paid off. I was unable to compete in the all-around, which was a big disappointment for me. But somehow I kept my spirits up for the team and contributed on two events. We were so happy when we won the bronze. We were an awesome team.
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Meloche demonstrating her
prowess on her best event
the uneven bars at 03 World Trials |
Gymn.ca: Can you take us through your medal winning vault and uneven bar routines in event finals?
VM: On vault I performed a handspring piked barani and a Yurchenko full. I was supposed to do my Yurchenko 1 ½ for the first time in competition but my foot was still bothering me. The vaults were good and I managed to win the bronze. Next came by strongest event, the uneven bars. That final was so much fun…people were cheering for me in the crowd and my team was supporting me. The feeling of having all those people who loved you and admired you was incredible. I remember running to jump for my mount and swinging a giant 1 ½ to piked Jaeger…my toe on ½ to Markelov was great and my double front dismount was pretty good too! It was a happy moment and I will cherish it forever.
Gymn.ca: After the event finals, you were interviewed on SRC television where you announced that you would be leaving Parkettes and moving to Sport Seneca in Toronto. Tell us what happened.
VM: The national coach and I had been discussing coming back to Canada to be with the team because we were starting to have a lot of international competitions in which we had to compete as a team. Now that I gained a lot of maturity and achieved my goal to learn more difficulty and be a good calibre gymnast, I was ready to come back to Canada and pursue my Olympic dream. Sport Seneca was definitely where I belonged.
Gymn.ca: How did your coaches at Parkettes react?
VM: The coaches and I had this special connection and it was hard for them to let me go. I was their first Canadian gymnast and they put a lot of time into me.
Gymn.ca: What did you do as soon as you were all moved in and ready to concentrate on gymnastics at Sport Seneca? What adjustments did you have to make?
VM: Coming home from Commonwealths, I had trouble walking so we checked that out. They decided that I needed surgery again. I was diagnosed with multiple stress fractures in my foot. They had to take bone from my knee and place it down on my naviacular and insert two screws. I had to wear a cast for two months. But this meant that I had to miss my second chance at making the World championships team in 2002. The doctor decided it would be best to do the surgery right away so that it left us a little more than a year to get healthy and ready to go. The coaches at Seneca were very supportive, positive and most of all did not give up on me. It was quite a challenge, though.
Gymn.ca: Tell us about your first world trials in the summer of 2003.
VM: I finally had the chance to try out for a world team! Wow. It had only been a few months since my return to training bars and I was ready to put on a show for Canada. I competed four bar routines in two days! I think I proved to myself and everyone else that I could do a bar routine anytime (laughs). The night of the last day of competition I got a call from my coach, Carol-Angela Orchard, telling me that they decided not to take me on the team. I was heartbroken because I had done everything possible in my mind and this was my third time missing out on Worlds!
Gymn.ca: Did the Sport Seneca crew encourage you to keep trying for the Olympics?
VM: Carol, Lisa, Brian and Lawson supported me every step of the way and I went back in the gym with my only one vision in mind, the Olympics. There was nothing I could do about not making the team and I put all my energy into training for the Olympics. My foot started to feel better after a while and I was finally able to start some vaulting and work on beam.
Gymn.ca: Take us through the end of the 2003 season.
VM: I competed at the tour selection in Mississauga and then at the Elite Canada. Tour selection was my first meet back on three events since world trials and I had a blast! Elite Canada was the competition I had been looking most forward to. On vault I did a nice yurchenko ½ and I did a newly choreographed beam routine. I made bar finals and won with my highest score ever, a 9.6, except that I landed in hyperextension on the dismount. I had tweaked it a bit before the meet but this time it was worst. I actually tore my ACL.
Gymn.ca: You have not competed since the ACL injury. Did you receive treatment for the knee and are you still training?
VM: Well, I had to get surgery in February to repair the damage. The surgeon took two pieces from my hamstring and inserted two screws in order to keep everything in place. I have been in rehab ever since and I am doing a lot better. I have been seeing the doctor every month and have been doing lots of physio. I recently got cleared to do some light workouts, you know, conditioning and some bars.
Gymn.ca: With the 2004 Olympics being an impossibility for you due to the torn ACL, what’s next?
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1st on UB at
03 Elite Canada |
VM: I am looking forward to a full gymnastics scholarship at the University of Nebraska!
Gymn.ca: That should be quite the experience! May we see you possibly competing for Canada again as well in the future?
VM: My career is far from over just as long as I can stay healthy. I will take it year by year and even next year is another opportunity for me to go to worlds maybe as a bars specialist. Kate (Richardson) and Richelle (Simpson) have shown us that just because you are in the NCAA doesn’t mean you cannot compete at the same level as elite gymnasts do.
Gymn.ca: What are your post-gymnastics goals? One of your coaches at Sport Seneca, Carol, told us that if she had children of her own she would send them to you because you are a great coach. Is that something you’d like to do?
VM: Coaching has always been something that I loved to do and I believe that it will always stay that way. The love I have for gymnastics is what keeps me going everyday. Carol once told me that passion and determination is the key to success and she was right. She has given me the chance to be the best.
Gymn.ca: So overall, Sport Seneca was a good experience?
VM: (An) amazing experience, actually! I have learned so much and have no regrets whatsoever. Plus I got to go to English high school, which was tough but well worth it.
Gymn.ca: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
VM: I would like to say thank you to everyone who supported me throughout my career and I want everyone to know that Vanessa Meloche is not about to say goodbye!
Gymn.ca: Thank you and good luck Vanessa!
