From moguls to medicine: Former Olympic skier changes course to become Quebec family doctor

Maxime Dufour-Lapointe is a world-class skier, having competed in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and in multiple World Cup competitions alongside her two younger sisters, Justine and Chloe.

In 2009, she became one of the first women to perform a backflip with a full twist in competition, according to Team Canada's website.

The 34-year-old isn't one to shy away from a challenge.

So when it came time to carve out a second career, the freestyle skier dug in and chose her long-time side hustle — science — as a new mountain to conquer.

You can now call her Dr. Dufour-Lapointe.

She'll soon be taking on a pivotal role as a family physician. And, yes, the globetrotter has decided to stay put and practice in Quebec, she told CTV News, with a laugh.

"Where else would I go? No, really, I live in Montreal," she said, though she does hope to settle in the Laurentians, eventually, so that she can continue to enjoy outdoor activities day-to-day.

It's a great stress-buster and it makes her happy.

"I'm in the wilderness, I just take my bike to go mountain biking. In the winter, I go skiing, there's a lake [where] you go swimming. My horse is close. Like, I want things to be close to my fun zone … because that's the kind of life I had as a kid," she said.

Women's moguls Olympic gold medalist Justine Dufour-Lapointe, right, poses with her sister and silver medalist Chloe, centre, and her other sister Maxime at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Sochi on Sunday, February 9, 2014. The Dufour-Lapointe sisters captured the hearts of Canadians. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

But Dufour-Lapointe has no illusions about what it will take to work as a doctor in Quebec. She knows that her schedule will be intense, that the health-care system is in crisis and that her new medical skills are needed, perhaps more than ever before.

"It also motivates me to want to bring some change, you know. It fascinates me. [Medicine] is almost like you're an athlete of your brain and we don't even consider resting as much as we do as athletes," she said.

"And I think things are slowly moving and wanting to change toward a better situation for every worker of the health system because we're struggling right now."

She hopes that with her life experiences and her "fresh eyes," she can bring something new to the table.

"It's way bigger than myself. I think I'm coming into it wanting to do my share. And this is what I actually control. Coming in with a smile, a great attitude, wanting to learn about my patient and caring for them," she said.

"And I think joy is contagious. A good attitude is contagious…so that's how I'm approaching things for the moment."

Former skier is now finishing up hospital rotations before her residency at Charles Lemoyne Hospital. Submitted photo.

IT HASN'T ALL BEEN DOWNHILL

While Dufour-Lapointe is certain her experience in high-level sports has helped prepare her for this latest mental and physical challenge, it's been a bumpy run.

It took her eight years just to get her CEGEP diploma, a reflection of her steely determination to do well, no matter the task at hand.

"I decided to do my CEGEP as long as it would take me to just have the best grades. So I did it in eight years, while I was competing, while I was going on the road so that I could apply to medical school with my CEGEP degree," she said in a recent interview.

When she finally graduated CEGEP in 2014, she decided to keep competing for four more years and delayed applying to medical school. But she never gave up on her academic pursuits.

"It was sort of a gamble, really," Dufour-Lapointe said with a laugh, "but I thought I need to go to the end of sports. And it worked out."

Canada's Maxime Dufour-Lapointe takes to the air during the qualifying round in the moguls event of the World Cup Freestyle Skiing event Sunday, January 19, 2014 in Val-St-Come, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

She started studying at l'Université de Montréal in 2018, by then having made the World Cup podium four times. She quickly noted the parallels between medicine and sports.

"I brought my sports heritage with me, everything that I've learned along the way as an athlete; patience, dedication, resilience, thinking a bit more outside the box sometimes," Dufour-Lapointe said.

"In medicine, you're thrown into different departments all the time, you go to surgery, you go to emergency and then you're helping with the labour when women are giving birth. You're just juggling so many things and learning a lot like a sponge."

Being an older student with so much personal growth behind her also helped her while training, she said. "Being a bit more mature. Knowing myself better."

Maxime Dufour-Lapointe attended medical school at Universite de Montreal, after she retired from skiing in 2014. Submitted photo.

BEIJING BREAK

Even though she officially retired from competitive skiing in 2018, Dufour-Lapointe couldn’t turn her back on her fellow athletes.

To offer up her support she arranged a six-week break from her medical studies so she could travel with Team Canada to Beijing for the 2022 Olympics as an athlete mentor.

As a result, she's now catching up on rotations she missed, such as two weeks in the dermatology department, for example. Beginning July 1, she'll officially start her residency at Charles-Le Moyne Hospital on Montreal's South Shore.

She's considering spending an extra year to specialize in sports medicine, and also enjoys emergency and critical care work, she said "because there's a lot of techniques and you've got to be quick on your feet."

Canada's Maxime Dufour-Lapointe skis in the moguls finals at the Sochi Winter Olympics Saturday February 8, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

But Dufour-Lapointe won't make any rash decisions. Even though she spent years with her body soaring in mid-air, in life she's always had her feet planted firmly on the ground, she explained.

"I still need to understand what kind of life comes with the job … I know that I need this equilibrium between work and fun," she said.

"I love medicine, but I'm not going to be a good family doctor if I'm drained. And I think quality needs to be at the forefront when you do medicine and it comes with taking care of myself first."

Former Olympic and World Cup skier Maxime Dufour-Lapointe has chosen to be a family doctor.