Gloucester skater Ivanie Blondin sets sights on 2010

LYNNE BERMEL - Ottawa Sun - April 6th, 2008
Birthdays are always special for teenagers. But for Gloucester short-track speed skater Ivanie Blondin, who turned 18 this week, the occasion wasn't particularly memorable -- well, except for that $10,000 she received as a gift.
Blondin and an elite group of 25 other young Canadian athletes received the show of support from the McDonald's 2010 Hopefuls program leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics. The program recognizes aspiring athletes like Blondin and their families. [...]
Blondin is training in Montreal under Sebastien Cros [...]
"Short track is an intense sport. Anything can happen in a split second," Blondin says. "You have to be really smart, able to make quick moves and not give up until you hit the finish line."
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Ivanie Blondin. File photo
Funding boost keeps speed skater on course
Jim Donnelly - Orleans Star - April 6
An east-end speed skater can breathe a little easier this week, after receiving a $10,000 private-sector grant to alleviate training, coaching and travelling costs. [...] "People say 'oh, you guys get a lot of money from the government, and you're overpaid,'" says Blondin. "But if you look at what we have to spend, it's not so much."