Gilmore Junio

Injuries

In 2009 he sustained T5 and T8 compression fractures to his back after crashing during a race. He returned to competition about two months later. (Athlete, 03 Dec 2015, 23 Nov 2019; gilmorejunio.com, 06 Aug 2011)

Reason for choosing this sport

"I transitioned to speed skating after playing ice hockey. My dad saw an advert on television for a speed skating camp and thought I'd be good."

Hero / Idol	Canadian ice hockey player Jarome Iginla, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer. (Athlete, 23 Nov 2019)
Awards and honours	He was named the 2014 Skater of the Year by the Alberta Amateur Speed Skating Association [AASSA] in Canada. (schaatsen.nl, 02 May 2016) He was named the 2010 Male Junior Athlete of the Year in Alberta, Canada. (speedskating.ca, 12 Apr 2011)

When and where did you begin this sport?

He took up the sport in 2003 in Calgary, AB, Canada. "I started playing [ice] hockey when I was seven years old, fell in love with the game, just loved being on the ice. When I was 13 it kind of became apparent that I was not going to have the size or skill to get to the NHL, but I was always one of the better skaters on my hockey team."

Nicknames	Gil, Happy Gilmore, Chipotle (Coach Dusseault Conditioning YouTube channel, 09 Nov 2021; Twitter profile, 10 Dec 2020; Facebook profile, 22 Nov 2019)
Other information	FROZEN LAKE TRAINING After an ice malfunction at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, AB, Canada, where he usually trains, in late 2020 he and other speed skaters from the Canadian national team spent time training on frozen lakes in Alberta, Canada. "We're all wearing our track suits, and we will get some looks, like, 'Who are those guys?' And then, we bring out the speed skates. We'll get a couple of kids that want to try to skate as fast as we do or get involved and, you know, take part in a little bit of our practice. And that's been really neat. People have been really receptive to it, and I think it's been a really cool thing to see on the lake. As a long-track speed skater trying to prepare for competitions, [no ice] is a bit of a problem. We've been kind of making do with different modes of training, but with the potential competition returning in 2021 and, big picture, preparing for the Olympics for 2022, we felt that we needed to try to get on some ice." (cbc.ca, 07 Dec 2020) GOLD MEDAL DISQUALIFICATION At the 2020 World Single Distances Championships in Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America, he was part of the Canadian group that posted the fastest time in the team sprint event before being disqualified. "We were the better team but unfortunately we were disqualified because of an illegal exchange. Rules are rules, nevertheless it's still a tough pill to swallow." (Instagram profile, 14 Feb 2020; speedskating.ca, 13 Feb 2020) SWITCHING DISCIPLINES In 2009 he fractured two vertebrae in a short track crash, which led him to take up long track speed skating. "Even with that I refused to give in. Not wanting the injury to put an end to my goal of representing Canada that season, two days after returning from Quebec I was back training. But I had switched my focus from short track to speed skating, where the risk of falling and re-injuring myself was much less." (Coach Dusseault Conditioning YouTube channel, 09 Nov 2021; gilmorejunio.com, 06 Aug 2011; speedskating.ca, 12 Apr 2011) SPORTING GESTURE He qualified to represent Canada in the 1000m at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi but gave his place to teammate Denny Morrison, who Junio believed had a better chance of claiming a medal. Morrison went on to win silver in the race. "It was an amazing time in my life and something I don't regret. Seeing Denny on that podium validated everything for me. It was great Canada and the world got to know me on a more personal level, but at the end of the day I am an athlete and what I want to accomplish is getting on the podium." (Speed Skating Canada YouTube channel, 30 Jan 2020; globalnews.ca, 30 Jan 2020; cbc.ca, 10 Nov 2016, 11 Feb 2014) HERITAGE His parents Gino and Julie are both from the Philippines but met in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, in the 1970s. The couple later settled in Calgary, AB, Canada, in the 1980s. "With being older [speaking in 2021], I think I take a little bit more responsibility of being a representative of the Asian-Canadian community on the Olympic team and on the speed skating team." (ca.sports.yahoo.com, 27 Oct 2021; Speed Skating Canada YouTube channel, 30 Jan 2020; canadianfilipino.net, 01 Feb 2019) OTHER ACTIVITIES He has served as a mentor for Classroom Champions, a Canadian charity that connects school students with athletes. "I just love seeing the look on the kids' faces when we do these events. [The excitement] gets me pumped up to speed skate and to try to accomplish more. I think trying to give to others and being a good friend, teammate, or brother - a lot of good things can happen because of that." (Classroom Champions Facebook page, 14 Sep 2021; Classroom Champions YouTube channel, 20 Apr 2020; calgary.ctvnews.ca, 30 Jan 2020)
Most influential person in career	Canadian speed skaters Jamie Gregg and Denny Morrison. (Athlete, 23 Nov 2019)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Always learn. Always grow. Give what you have." (Athlete, 13 Nov 2017)

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Memorable sporting achievement

Competing at the Olympic Winter Games in 2014 and 2018. (Classroom Champions YouTube channel, 20 Apr 2020)