Mont-Tremblant, April 30, 2019— Elite French-born swimmer and certified national World Cup coach Bertrand Venturi will be offering the benefits of his open-water swimming experience to all athletes registered for the Traversée du Lac Tremblant race (all distances). Mr. Venturi’s virtual coaching service will be available via a Facebook group for subscribers in any distance of the event. A bilingual presentation followed by a question period will be broadcast live from the event page, which can be accessed by the general public.
While he will be competing in the Traversée du Lac Tremblant’s 12 km HUUB UltraSwim for the first time, the elite swimmer has participated in several European and world championships. He is the 2010 European Vice-Champion of the 25 km race and is a World Cup-certified national coach. One of the athletes he coaches is Xavier Desharnais, who ranked first in Canada and third in the world, and is the winner of the 2018 Traversée du Lac Tremblant, of which he is now an ambassador.
As the ambassador and official coach of Traversée du Lac Tremblant, Mr. Venturi is thrilled by this opportunity to share his know-how. “I’m happy to apply my experience to the event and I sincerely hope I can make a difference to the athletes, especially those who will be competing in open water for the first time.”
A unique event
The Traversée du Lac Tremblant is one of the biggest long-distance open water races in Canada and one of the only events to offer participants free virtual coaching by the coach of elite swimmers. It is also the only event of its kind to offer such a wide variety of lodging, restaurants, activities and tourist attractions on the race site. In Tremblant, everything is within walking distance, from five-star hotels to family restaurants, without forgetting the Traversée Pinacle | Pure Tremblant village where athletes and their families will have the occasion to meet with exhibitors, attend conferences and that will actually be the events’ headquarters.
An eco-responsible event
The event also has a considerable eco-responsible component by targeting zero waste and GHG emissions. In fact, Traversée du Lac Tremblant requires that food and drink suppliers not use any plastic, non-compostable or non-reusable materials. Recycling sorting bins will be available onsite, with a team of volunteers on hand to educate visitors and make sure the bins are being used properly. For more information, visit www.traverseelactremblant.ca.
There’s still time to register!
Registration is still open for the three distances: 1 km Desjardins, 3 km Go4Fund and the weekend’s flagship distance, 12 km HUUB UltraSwim. Desjardins’s youth program is offering to reimburse the registration fee for 11- to 17-year-old participants of the 2019 Traversée du Lac Tremblant at participating Desjardins credit unions. The event will welcome 500 swimmers and 100 kayakers, without counting all the supporters and spectators. 350 athletes have already registered.
About the Traversée du Lac Tremblant
For Catherine Levasseur and Stephanie Deschamps, summer would not be complete without a swim across Lac Tremblant. Two girlfriends, one lake, and one long swim. Year after year, the two friends would make the 12 km swim across the lake. Then, four years ago, the two girlfriends’ personal challenge grew into the Traversée du Lac Tremblant as a dozen brave souls set out to cross the lake with them. In 2019, just four years after the first organized group swim, the challenge is now an international event covering three days and three distances: 1 km, 3 km and the crown jewel of the weekend, the 12 km crossing of Lac Tremblant. It is a challenging and exhilarating experience, where swimmers and Mother Nature work together to achieve an almost impossible feat. It’s an epic adventure. It’s the swim of a lifetime. It’s the Traversée du Lac Tremblant.
