So when Olympic skier Ashleigh McIvor and Vancouver Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit have their first super-athlete child, what will he or she be given first? Skis or cleats?
Both, says DeMerit. He gives his future wife a diplomatic look. Yeah, both.
At the same time, McIvor adds with laugh.
The awkward image of a baby wearing one little soccer cleat and one ski appears in my mind.
We try to not to look that far ahead, says DeMerit. But yeah, we do obviously get asked this question a lot and the answer is.
is theyre going to do whatever they want, finishes McIvor who won a gold medal in ski cross at the Vancouver Olympics. Who knows. I hope we have little surfer kids and I can hang out on a beach, in the sun, instead of the side of a skihill.
These two finish each others sentences a lot. For two very competitive people, theyre incredibly noncompetitive when it comes to opinions or their relationship.
I think thats key to our relationship is that we definitely dont compete against each other; we very rarely show that competitive edge, says DeMerit. But in our own worlds, we are very competitive as individuals. We kind of created a team environment for our relationship. We push each other as teammates. It seems to work really well for us.
Yeah I agree, says McIvor, and while were very competitive as individuals, were also very competitive on each others behalfs too.
As a team, when theyre not planning their upcoming wedding, DeMerit and McIvor are an active couple, hiking to waterfalls in the Pemberton area, biking along the many trails, snowshoeing up to their Whistler cabin and regularly venturing into the BC mountains.
Its pretty safe to say that other than when were injured, were very rarely sitting still, McIvor says with DeMerit nodding in agreement.
But at the moment, DeMerit is hobbling around on crutches, out from soccer for six to eight months with a torn Achilles tendon.
To them, good fitness is more than consistent physical activity.
Its just a way of life, McIvor says Its not something I feel like I have to work hard at. Its about eating well, getting rest, recovering well; its become second nature to me.
My moms a public health nurse so its become ingrained in my thinking what sort of food you should put into your body and what sort of food you shouldnt put into your body and how much exercise you should get.
Its something that you find very natural and what you do during the day, echoes DeMerit. And I think that when youre not fulfilling your healthiness, it feels very natural to want to go do something about that even if its going for a walk to take a longer route. Like, right now, Im in a situation where I cant really expend much energy. In my own certain ways, I need to do that I almost feel anxiety. Ill move where I can, Ill crutch home, Ill do a little bit more than I probably should but either way, itll help.
And you can focus on other things do some artwork, plan weddings. McIvor says with a laugh.
