Meagan Duhamel

[Catherine M]

Isn't that the truth?!
I was always afraid Eric would be a wasted talent - he's been one of my very favourites since he won junior nationals in 2004 in singles. Very happy to see him succeeding with a great partner!

Have loved Eric's skating too from very early on. He was sitting in the stands a few feet away from us at Canadians in Saskatoon in 09, that's the last Canadians he skated with Rachel Kirkland and the poor guy looked gutted that his career was going nowhere. Glad he decided to stick it out and was able to get to team up with such a great partner in Meagan after the 2010 season was over with. I guess that saying "good things come to those that wait" applies to Eric!

Looking forward to seeing how Meagan & Eric skate in the second half of this season!

[Erin]

I was always afraid Eric would be a wasted talent - he's been one of my very favourites since he won junior nationals in 2004 in singles. Very happy to see him succeeding with a great partner!

I was afraid of this too!! I remember saying back in 2009 that he and Dylan Moscovitch were probably the best male skaters in Canada, but neither of them were going to go anywhere with their current partners. Happy to see that with stronger partners, they've proven me right about how good they are.

Re Meagan's intensity - it's pretty clear from interviews and the Kiss & Cry that she's also equally hard on herself when she makes mistakes. With Eric being so laidback, maybe he needs that intensity to give him a bit of a push (and hopefully he chills her out a bit too). The contrast can be quite amusing, for example at 4CC where Meagan was dressed in full yoga gear for off-ice warm-ups and spent ages running laps, doing advanced stretches, skipping, jumping on the spot, etc. Right beside her, Eric was dressed in sweats and a toque and every once in a while would do a half-assed stretch. It was more entertaining to watch than whoever was actually skating at the time!

[Sylvia]

NorthernLife.ca article: Duhamel driving towards Olympics

“I have had more heartbreak in my skating career than success, but one thing I will never do is give up,” the 27-year-old said recently. “I believe you have to fight for what you want and that it is the last person standing, the one who never quit, will be the most successful.

“I can’t explain why I am so driven despite all my obstacles. I just stay positive no matter what happens and if I hit a roadblock, I find a way to work past it.”
...

“I have fought hard and worked hard for every bit of success I’ve ever had,” she said. “I have learned to work hard for what you want and that nothing will ever be handed to you on a silver platter. I have learned sometimes life isn’t fair and you won’t always get what you want.

“I have learned that when someone says it can’t be done and that you aren’t good enough, you have to dig deep, believe in yourself and keep on going.”

[JasperBoy]

I was afraid of this too!! I remember saying back in 2009 that he and Dylan Moscovitch were probably the best male skaters in Canada, but neither of them were going to go anywhere with their current partners. Happy to see that with stronger partners, they've proven me right about how good they are.

I'm another who is delighted the see Eric and Dylan in the top Canadian pairs teams. They are both very talented, and have paid their dues a hundred times over. It is good that they are having international success after their years with younger partners who just didn't work out for different reasons.

[Really]

NorthernLife.ca article: Duhamel driving towards Olympics

I love Meagan's outlook!

[Sylvia]

Sudbury Star article (Jan. 2): Duhamel's Olympic dream a goal

Article summarizing Duhamel/Radford's pre-Canadians media teleconference call earlier today: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

[AragornElessar]

Megan and Eric took part in a live chat this afternoon at Canada.com. The transcript is up now over there at the site...

Canada.com ~ Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford Live Chat