Club 3A

My name is Anne Sophy Lainesse, I am 32 years old, a family doctor from Gatineau. When you meet me, I may seem calm and composed, but inside is hidden a real little battery-operated monster. I started walking at 8 months and since then have not stopped fidgeting for five minutes! Passionate lover of sports and green spaces, the great outdoors and mud puddles hold no secrets for me. Indeed, my freckled cheeks hint at the amount of time that I have spent in mother nature. If there’s an adventure to be had, I’m in!

My passion for the outdoors came to fruition after participating in the 18-day experiential course at the Cegep of Outaouais. Spending eighteen days in nature bonding with an incredible gang is truly an unforgettable experience (even though it rained 12 of the 18 days!). It is there that I learned about the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation from Virginie Gargano, one of the teachers on the course. It goes without saying that I fell madly in love with this foundation and have cherished it ever since. In November 2020 I submitted my application to volunteer as a doctor with them. Unfortunately, covid got involved in the story and it was a long time before I could finally go on an expedition. I wanted to find an alternative way to help them in the meantime, so in January 2021, I started sewing custom outdoor clothing and selling it to raise funds. I named this small business YellowBox, in honor of the YellowBox trail, my favorite running trail in Gatineau Park. All profits raised are donated to the foundation.

Since I don’t have a lot of free time to sew I don’t have a huge amount to give them! So I decided to give myself a sporting challenge combined with a fundraising campaign to try to raise more financial resources for this beautiful foundation that is really close to my heart.

Over the years, I’ve had all kinds of adventures: ultra-trails by stage (100% autonomous trail race of 150km over 3 days), cooperative aid trips to the back of beyond for months with nothing but a toothbrush and a pair of underpants, the tour of Lac Saint-Jean (250km) in a single day, etc. Climbing, mountain biking, road biking, gravel biking, swimming, trail running, hiking, cross-country skiing: you name it, I’m up for any adventure. I also won the Tremblant Half-Ironman in 2013, the Tremblant Ironman in my age category in 2014 and represented Canada at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. However, at this point, competitions no longer attract me. I still crave challenges that take me out of my comfort zone and offer adventures, but more than anything else, I want to push my limits and have a good time with friends!

In January 2023, in order to raise funds for the foundation, I plan to skate 100 km in a single day in Gatineau Park, (three loops of 33 km plus 1500 m), at times accompanied by my friends and my relatives.