20-for-20 with Zachari Bolduc

In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia.

Here’s 19-year-old Zachari Bolduc, of Team Quebec, who will be representing Canada at his second Youth/Junior Worlds in his first year as a junior. On Thursday, Bolduc led the North Americans in 34th in the junior men’s 15 k individual.

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“My full name is Zachari Bolduc, but you can call me Zac. I was born in Laval, Quebec, raised in Sainte-Sophie, Quebec, and one thing you should know about my hometown is that I’m the only biathlete from there and even from all my region.

I started cross-country skiing when I was 9 and started biathlon when I was 12, thanks to Lise Le Guellec for introducing me to biathlon. I currently train in Quebec City with Team Quebec.

If I’m not skiing, you might find me hunting or fishing.

One of the things I’m most excited about for Youth/Junior World Championships in Brezno-Osrblie is that I will have the chance to race against all the best biathletes in the world.

This will be my second Youth/Junior World Championships, and this year, I’m competing as a junior.

One race I’m especially targeting there is the sprint.

The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was train as you race to race as you train.

One of the best race memories I have is our 5th place at the relay from last year’s World Championships.

If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Ole Einar Bjørndalen.

If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be a physical education teacher or a bussiness owner.

I’m missing 14 days of school to be here, and my teachers/professors are probably thinking, ‘This guy is going to fail my class.’ But they are wrong, I do this for five years now 😉.

You can follow me on Facebook at ZachariBolducbiathlon.”