We went to the St-Ludger cross-country ski club in Rivière-du-Loup, where they lend out equipment (boots, skis and poles) free of charge. I was surprised to find that the equipment was brand new and that I was the one who looked pitiful with my vintage skis.
Once the boots were on and the skis strapped on, I explained to my daughter a few basic rules to get her going. And off she went! In less than 2 minutes, she was going at full speed, waving cheerfully to the experienced skiers we met.
As we reached the top of a slope, I barely had time to tell her to bend her knees before she was off. Once at the bottom, she slowed down. I immediately thought she’d just got scared, so I accelerated to catch up with her. She turned to me and exclaimed, “This is the happiest day of my life! I burst out laughing at such exaggeration, but her smile warmed my heart and I was happy to have finally found a sport that we could both practice together.
