Hudson’s Bay on Queen Street in Toronto looked much like it would on Boxing Day with tons and tons of people crowding the area on April 1, 2014. However while great deals were present as always, what drew so many people to their flagship store was Alexandre Bilodeau, the two-time winning Olympic freestyle skier.
As the face of the Sochi 2014 HBC Team Canada collection, it was only fitting that the 26-year-old Montreal native came out to speak about his Olympic experience and meet and greet fans. He also brought along two of his closest friends—gold medals from Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014. Dressed in red and white with shirts that proudly read Canada and many of HBC’s Olympic gear including the famed toque and mittens, fans lined up early for the chance at snapping a #selfiewithalex and his medals. Also present was Hudson’s Bay Company president, Liz Rodbell who spoke with Alex in front of the excited crowd before the selfie session.
“It’s been very busy but there’s a lot of challenges in front of me,” said Alex. “I’m going to finish my studies in Accounting, it’s a bit boring compared to skiing in the Olympics but I have a great passion for it, and there’s a lot of changes, I’m also getting married this summer.”
Though he may be putting his professional skiing career behind him, Alex definitely left his mark as an athlete. In his final World Cup race, he snagged the title of most World Cup medals by a Canadian with an impressive 19 wins. After winning gold in the men’s moguls at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, he made history by becoming the first Canadian to win a gold medal at an Olympic Games held in Canada. And in February at the Olympics in Sochi, Alex became the first man to ever successfully defend the men’s Olympic moguls crown.
Congrats to Alex, be sure to keep up with his future endeavors by following him on Twitter @ABilodeau_Ski.
–@Naomi_ML
