In our Prolific Personalities Series, we take a look at how our student-athletes are putting a positive spin on the year that's been, delving into the good that has come during an unprecedented time.
Manuel Bolduc, a science (mathematics and physics) graduate from St. Lambert, Que., and member of McGill's men's rowing team, had a well mapped out plan for completing his education and getting into the teaching profession prior to the pandemic hitting.
"I was pretty much set that I would be completing my master's, followed by a Ph.D., post-doc, and then go on to be a math professor, dealing with applied math, partial and differential equations. I had started my master's project in 2020 and was planning on fast-tracking to get it completed in a year, but once COVID hit I had an opportunity to reassess things - I realized that you can't control everything and that there was no need to rush."
"Now I've decided to extend my master's to two years, and it's really helped me gain more balance in my life, taking enough time to do everything correctly and be more open-minded. While working towards becoming a professor is certainly still a possibility, my options are much more open now."
As for the upcoming rowing season, Bolduc is in the best shape of his life and is excited to try and compete for a national rowing championship.
"Normally, by the end of a rowing season (in November), my body is so banged up that it needs about a month to recover. COVID really allowed me to have a healthier balance between training and school, and right now I'm in the best shape I've ever been in and am so excited for the upcoming season.
"I've been training like heck in my garage, averaging between three and four hours a day, which is up about 25% from what I'd normally do, and my body feels great. While I don't have access to weights, I do have a rowing machine which is a big help. Our team has also been involved in a few events to help motivate us to stay in shape - we challenged the University of Toronto to a winter training challenge in March 2021, and it was fun and a great way to stay in touch with our group."
"When I look back at the past year and a half, the first few months were of course very hard, but with more time to reflect and think about the future, I feel great about what's ahead."
Zachary McRae
Communications Officer
McGill Athletics & Recreation
514.616.5573 (Tel.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
zachary.mcrae@mcgill.ca
