Canada's Top Woman: Michele Letendre

August 20, 2013

Kate Rose

"This year, I went in with a much more open mind, and with the sole goal to adapt as best as possible to the events. I think I did that very well."


 

Michele Letendre has competed in the CrossFit Games three times. While each experience was different, what remains consistent is her ability to learn and increase her capacity from year to year.

“The events don’t get any easier, but you do gain confidence in your abilities, which makes attacking the workouts more attainable,” Letendre says.

The third time was a charm for Letendre, who finished with her highest placement yet in the 13th spot, and won her first Games event, The Pool. She was also Canada’s top female athlete.

“I enjoyed my time there … except the Row. The events were all really challenging and I loved them because they made me learn something about my programming in the past year and what I need to do for the next year.”

Letendre attributes her success in 2013 to her frame of mind upon arriving in California.

“This year was beyond expectations. Last year, I left with a sour taste in my mouth. Things didn’t go my way. This year, I went in with a much more open mind, and with the sole goal to adapt as best as possible to the events. I think I did that very well,” Letendre says.

For the former water polo player, starting the Games off in the pool was a definite advantage, and helped her build momentum.

“It wasn’t my favorite workout, but it started the Games in the best possible way,” she says. “The distance swim was right up my alley and bar muscle-ups are no problem, so you can imagine how happy I was when they announced it. It was the first time I’ve looked at a workout before trying it and said, ‘I’m going to win this workout.’ That level of confidence was new to me and I loved it.”

Despite the win, The Pool wasn’t her most memorable event. Admittedly not a natural runner, Letendre worked hard to strengthen her running after 2012, and it paid off.  

“The biggest thing for me this year was the ease I had on the runs for Naughty Nancy, the ZigZag Sprint and the Burden Run. I worked very hard on my running and I couldn’t be happier with those results. The best about all of this is that I still feel like I have so much more room for improvement,” she says.

Now, Letendre is evaluating her performance to identify strengths and weaknesses in preparation for 2014.

“This year, there will be quite a few changes, so we’ll see how it goes. I feel very proud of what I’ve accomplished and I am very excited for the new 2014 season.”