Cross-country skier Cendrine Browne looks to the future with enthusiasm

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, May 3, 2022 – After a ten-year career as an international athlete, cross-country skier Cendrine Browne recently announced her retirement from sport. The 28-year-old is proud to be turning the page on this important chapter in her life and is looking forward to the many projects that await her. 

A true pioneer of women's cross-country skiing in Quebec and Canada, Cendrine is retiring at the top of her game, having achieved her best career performances, and feeling very proud of the distance she’s travelled. “When I began my career, I always planned to retire at the top of my game before my performances started to wane. I feel it's important to end my career in this way to have good memories for life,” says Cendrine Browne. 

An exceptional career
Cendrine Browne is an inspirational athlete who’s competed twice at the Olympic Games with Team Canada, five times at the World Championships and 76 times at World Cup events and has also made her mark through her involvement in the Féminaction initiative, which promotes the place of young women in sport. 

Cendrine’s final year of competition was the best of her career. The cross-country skier had three top 20 finishes at the Beijing Olympics in February 2022, including a 16th place in her final race, the 30 km skate, a Canadian record for that distance. She followed that up with two personal bests on the World Cup, earning her first top 30 in the sprint in Lahti, as well as a 25th place in the 30 km Holmenkollen Classic, before capping off her career at the Canadian Championships where she earned multiple podium finishes, including a 1st place in the Canadian Championships’ inaugural 45 km race.    

A bright future ahead 
While Cendrine is leaving high performance sport behind, she continues to have high aspirations. Among other things, she plans to complete her bachelor's degree in sports intervention at Université Laval, remain involved in cross-country skiing – whether in event management or with various cross-country skiing organizations – and continue her involvement with Féminaction to continue to contribute to the development of women's sports at the national and international levels.  

“I’ve had a successful career full of wonderful challenges, and I’m extremely proud of what I’ve achieved. I couldn't have done it without the support of my valued partners, including Formica Canada, who have allowed me to make the most of opportunities to compete in World Cup events to reach the highest levels of my sport and have the time to pursue my education and social involvement,” says Cendrine Browne.  

“We’re very pleased to support inspiring young athletes to help them achieve their dreams,” says Christelle Locat-Rainville, Marketing Director at Formica Canada. “We’ll have the pleasure of welcoming Cendrine to our head office in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, where she will talk about mental health and the challenges she has faced throughout her career. She will share her inspiring journey as an athlete with our employees to demonstrate the importance of resilience and being able to talk about mental health with those around us.