The Impact of Climate Change on Sports and Athlete Activism for Sustainability.

Prepare for an extraordinary episode filled with passion, resilience, and triumph as we welcome our exceptional guest, Philippe Marquis, an Olympic athlete and coach. Philippe's story is a testament to the power of determination and the pursuit of excellence.

Philippe is a two-time Canadian Olympian (2014, 2018) in freestyle/mogul skiing, with an impressive career spanning over twelve years on the Canadian team.
As our first-ever Olympic athlete and coach on our Podcast, Philippe's journey from his early aspirations as a young skier to becoming an Olympic athlete has been nothing short of remarkable.

Despite facing numerous challenges, including multiple injuries, Philippe's exceptional talent and determination have propelled him to heights. Alongside his athletic pursuits, he has also developed a keen interest in the impact of climate change on sports, particularly in the mountains he calls home.

This newfound passion led Philippe to join athlete advocacy groups and actively participate in organisations such as Protect Our Winters Canada and EcoAthletes, where he works to raise awareness and promote sustainability in sports. Additionally, Philippe is a Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission member, further emphasising his dedication to positively impacting on and off the slopes.

Throughout our conversation, we explored the profound impact of climate change on the world of sports and the influential role of athlete activism in driving sustainability.

Philippe shared his insights on the practical challenges athletes face in the wake of climate change and the inspiring initiatives athletes undertake to raise awareness and enact positive change. We discussed the crucial role of fans in boosting sustainable practices within the sports industry and the challenges and opportunities faced by athletes and teams in addressing the environmental impact and navigating governing restrictions.

Moreover, Philippe highlighted the involvement of fossil fuel companies in the sports industry. He emphasised the potential for a more sustainable future. He expressed his admiration for Protect Our Wint

Transcript

Sid: 0:04

Welcome to the Pre-Zero Sport Talk Podcast Show, your home for open, straightforward and trailing conversations on the latest happenings in the world of sports. Leading the charge for carbon neutral and sports, we bring you the most exciting and engaging discussions on the airwaves. Today's episode is all about The Impact of Climate Change on Sports and Athlete, Activism for Sustainability; And to discuss this topic, we have a very. special guest on our show. Phillippe Marquis. Coach and a former Olympic athlete. Brings us an extraordinary story that is filled with passion, resilience, and triumph. Philippe Marquis is a two time Canadian Olympian from 2014 to 2018. In Freestyle Mogul Skiing. With over a hundred international events. Under his belt during his 12 year period on the Canadian Team. Since it's 2022, he has taken on the role of Development Coach for our Freestyle Canada Mogul Team. From the beginning Philippe's life was intended for the exciting world of skiing inspired by his brother's success at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Phillips journey and freestyle skiing began to take shape. He first graced the Olympic stage in Sochi 2014, igniting a fire within him. Despite facing multiple surgeries quickly, Philippe's exceptional talent, and unyielding drive earned him the title, FIS World Cup Rookie of the year. He's accomplishment, continue to soar, including a bronze medal at the Sochi 2014 test event and impressive ranking in the Overall World Cup standings. However, just before the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, Philippe's dream was threatened by severe ACL tear. Undeterred he embark on a grueling rehabilitation journey and was resolute to represent his country again. Against all odds. He made it to his second Olympic games displaying a remarkable perseverance. While and competing, Philippe began to witness the impact of climate change on sports, particularly in the mountains surrounding him. This ignited the profound interest in educating himself and joining athlete advocacy group to raise environmental awareness. As a result, he is actively involved in organizations, such as Protect Our Winters Canada, and EcoAthletes, which connect athletes and promote sports sustainability

Philippe: 2:15

This organization is one that I'm part of. and it's a community that really helped me. get educated in this space. so I have to say, Protect Our Winters, was, is a fantastic not-for-profit that does a lot of advocation, advocating work, at government and corporate level.

Sid: 2:32

Philippe is also a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes Commission. In addition to his athletic pursuits, Philippe holds a business degree and he's completing a PGCertificate in the International Sports Management or the university of London. Join us as we delve into Philippe's remarkable journey from his early aspirations as a young skier to become an Olympic athlete, and now a driving force in athlete activism for sustainability. Witness his triumphs, overcome his challenges and gain insight into the profound impact one can make on and off the slopes. Welcome to an episode that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and inspires us all to work towards a more sustainable future. Hi everyone. I'm your host Sid Bensalah, and this is the Pre-Zero Sports Talk. The show that explores the Intersection of Sports, Events, Innovation, and Sustainability. Welcome, Philippe. We're thrilled to have you on the show. Your athletic journey and commitment to sustainability have made a lasting impact. We're eager to hear your thoughts on the exciting link between sports athlete activism and sustainability. Let's make this conversation one to remember.

Philippe: 3:38

Hey, thanks Sid. it's a pleasure to be here today with you and. thanks for creating this platform for, for many guests, but, also for athlete, retired athlete, in my case and coach, to just, share some of my stories and some of the reasons why I wanted to be an athlete advocate and, and play My part in this, this important topic, this important fight, I think that humanity is facing, but from a sports standpoint. So super happy to be here for the next little while with you talking about, this highly inspiring and important conversation.

Sid: 4:09

Good. Before we delve into the topic of sustainability and athlete activism, I'd love to learn more about the word of freestyle and what it takes to excel in this sport.

Philippe: 4:19

Yeah, Freestyle Mogul Skiing is an interesting sport. it's not something that people tend to know a lot about, it's a very niche discipline, within all the freestyle, skiing discipline. So my sport consistent in skiing down a mogul run that's about 250 meters with two jumps. Some may have seen it at the Olympics, for instance, a highly skilled sport, but a very fascinating funds, speedy, a technical, event. So it's one that I've. I've been lucky to embrace for over 15 years of my life, and, I've been able to travel the world and compete for Canada, for 12 fantastic years that were full of, full of rollercoaster, bump and injuries along the way and tears and smiles and emotions. So I'm very blessed to have had this career that I've had and compete at two Olympic games. and yeah, I think what excited me the most, with this sport was always the mix of not only being a good technical skier, but also being able to develop, aero sense capacity tricks, and be able to do all of that together at high speed. So it combined three assets, three areas of technical abilities that were super appealing. There's no. no bad, No pun no. No. Sad. No. everything was always exciting. I, for me, training was as exciting as competing because there was no similar training days. Everything, every day was a bit different. So, so yeah, I was able to make that a career for a little while and, very blessed that it's been part of my life and has helped me springboard to sustainability, to coaching, to some other areas where I'm very keen and passionate to explore more in the future.

Sid: 5:58

And can you explain to our listeners what it takes to be the best in this field?

Philippe: 6:04

Like many sport, it takes commitment. It takes hard work. it takes the capacity to learn and to put your ego on the side and to collaborate with coaches, with teammates. it takes disability to, to be fierce and overcome, obstacle, overcome. bad moments. It takes resiliency for sure, especially in a career like mine, who's been full of little injuries along the way. And I'd say it, it takes also a bit of a mental game that's pretty sharp because you are training for many hours, many days, and you only compete in about 15, 20 events in a season. And on those events, it's more or less, it's one run that's. 20 to 25 second. it takes a lot of focus, a lot of flow, to put your best stuff down when it counts. So I'd say this kind of performance on the men. Makes it unique. Not that other sport don't, but I think, if you compare it to a team sport, or a sport that, that, that can last many minutes or many, hours, I think there's always a chance to make back, take back some moments that you might not have been quite as sharp. I think in mogul skiing those short time sport, they require, sharpness focus. that, that brings the best out of you and the worst out of you. So it's pretty interesting in that sense.

Sid: 7:21

Good. And on another note, Philippe, we know that you've transitioned from being an Olympic athlete to coaching. What motivated you to make this shift to become a coach?

Philippe: 7:33

Yeah, I think it, it's a fair, it's a good question. I think part of it is, It's just it's a bit of a natural transition where, you're, you've been an athlete where everything's been quite centered on you for so long and you've just, your life's been, training and being been, in my case, being out there in the mountains. It's been, focusing on my health, my preparation, my physical, mental sharpness. so for me to keep a bit in that same lifestyle was interesting. It was a very appealing, and there was a bit of the man in my sport to, to have coaches that, so that was maybe motivation factor number one. I'd say after that it, it came down to just, I've always, per my personality has always been very critical of myself as an athlete, and I've always been someone who look up to others and try to judge a little bit critically assess their strength and weaknesses and try to like this analytics side of me has always helped me, improve and evolve as an athlete. So throughout the years, I've always loved going back to my local club, going back to kids and, and teach when I, when I had times between events. So after that I was just kind of a natural fit to. Go back and be with the kids and do this lifestyle and be part of their journey now. So I think it's been very interesting to, to switch everything. All the attention focus was on. So centered on myself and how could I perform best. To now, it's, my goal is to think about everyone else around me and help them see for the best performance and seek for the best preparation. It's been a very interesting switch and it took me definitely a couple months to adapt to this mentality, but so far it's been a great journey and it's been challenging at times because I start coaching and within just to, within six months time, I was struck by covid, like everyone else around the world. After that I kind of had to learn coaching through, through the challenges that we had to face with, with the pandemic as well. So it's been so far very good and I was lucky enough to be, able to come back to, to coach in Canada. So I went to the States for a couple years, and now I coach in the, for the Canadian Team. So in a program and a system that I grew myself. so it's super fun to give back to this program.

Sid: 9:42

And what aspect of coaching specifically you find the most fulfilling and rewarding.

Philippe: 9:49

I, I really enjoy like, as, as simple as it sound. I really enjoy seeing the satisfaction and. In my athlete's eyes. and in those moments I can share with them the question they have and, being able to mentor there and guide them throughout that process, has been really fun. I discover a lot of different personalities. They build their own kind of brand and identity throughout this process and this journey, and it gives me a chance to kinda live this journey that I was, and I was so passionate and I was so lucky and blessed to live. You know, with just myself, with my experience, my career, and I get to live it again through the eyes and perspective of others. So to be part of that is, is fascinating and it's very passion.

Sid: 10:31

And in general, we seen, not only in your sport but in various sports, most of the, athletes at the end of their career, they transition to coaching. Is it by default a choice or maybe limited options for the athletes to, because they didn't have time, to study further or is it, let's say, something that they want to be within the sport

Philippe: 10:55

Yeah, that's a great question. for sure everyone's different. but I'd say it's a mix of all the points that you brought up. I think to some extent when you commit to a life, analytic life and you make that a career for a little while, for as long as your body and your mind allows you to do it, I think, I think you've gotta put a lot of things on the side and make some sacrifices. And for instance, for me, my studies, you know what a normal path would've been two, three years. Was taking me seven, eight years. So there's definitely a lot of sacrifice in that end. and you can't do it all. So I think by default, to some extent, you know so much about coaching by the time you retire and you transition from sport that you want to stay involved and you want to give back and, and most of your knowledge, your expertise, and those, this knowledge that you've required throughout the years and the experience you've lived. and I think at maybe one of the, we are as human being, we are extremely. We tend to evolve and we tend to really lean towards role model and mimick desire and ways to live, right? So I think when you're your support staff and the people you spend a lot of time with, our coaches, physiotherapists, sports psychologist, those are always gonna be area where you're more captivated and fascinated about, so I think it always, you see a lot of athletes recycling in those profession after their career, or at least reading a lot and going to school around those topics. And so I think it's a bit of all of that plays that, that creates a bit of a mix of how people and athletes, transition out of their career. And, and I think definitely coaching for me as, I don't know if I want to make, I wanna do this for forever, but, for now, it's been a good escape, transition where I can share a lot of my own knowledge and expertise, but I can also follow a lot of my side project. And I study, I still study and I can be involved with non-profit around, sustainability effort, and so for me, I knew they were always gonna take a big part of my life and coaching allowed me to juggle, both and not really be in a nine to five office, type work, for now. So trying to enjoy this way for a bit.

Sid: 13:03

Excellent. Thanks for these answers. Let's shift now gear towards the climate change and sustainability. How does climate change practically impact athletes, coaches, and sports events?

Philippe: 13:14

Yeah, that's, It's something that we start seeing a lot and I'm obviously, I'm always gonna be a bit biased in my answers with my background around the winter sport, I think the frequency of heat, wave, air quality, the water quality for some sport, change in seasons, have affected us in the way we prepare tremendously around the world. I think athletes now they're putting their health a bit more at risk. they're pushing their body through condition that are sometimes not sustainable. And, this is just a new reality that we're facing and, has impacted athlete in so many ways where in terms of just health, in terms of financial and, just the risk mitigation of it all has been really hard in, in some stances, and I think it's been super hard in the world of sport in general for sport organizer for events. We've seen more cancellation, we see sport that have to move events from different place, different plays. We see place that historically have hosted some type of sport for a long time that, can no longer do they're not even in the roaster. I think there was an interesting study by the, around the I.O.C and where the Winter Olympics have been in the last 20 years, 30 years, and I think 80% of them could probably not even hold the Olympics, anymore just by the mix of events and then the type of venue they needed to do That's where we are at in the status of sport. there needs to be radical change otherwise, athletes are really affected practically in, in the way they practice their day-to-day sports.

Sid: 14:45

Yeah. And do you have a recommendation, when it comes to sports organization, how can they better prepare and adapt for this increasing frequency in, severity of, extreme water events?

Philippe: 14:58

They are to, they're very unpredictable and they are to predict, like we, we are facing like warmest summer ever, and then the most snow ever. We're just starting to see a lot more swings in our weather patterns. What's been the norm is now changing quite a bit, I think for event manager. I think it comes down to planning, I think comes down to, creating a bit of a blueprint and new models of all you want to deliver your, Your events. I think it has, you have to take account and have some consider the risk factor and how the weather can affect your event and plan currently. So I think for instance, if I can make a bit of a, maybe a link to, the International Ski Federation F.I.S, I think there's been a lot of actually calling on them to make their calendar a little bit more travel friendly and a bit more oriented with the season shift, so maybe moving this, the event, and the competition by a couple weeks. Trying to have a tour that you're gonna spend a certain amount of months in Europe and then move to North America and do the event there. And then have a bit of a Asian, stuff as well where it follow a bit like the. the natural kind of the snow, the accumulation of snow, the glacier, depth. it falls a little bit, like the cold wave, if you can say around the world where, and it minimum, it minimize, sorry, the travel length and the travel mileage that athletes put, in during a winter, during a full season. So those are some ideas that I think. Sport organizer have to be a bit more aware and a bit more creative with, and they have to be accountable for. I think we see a lot of sport organizations saying they wanna change, they wanna improve, and they actually want to invest in sustainability in, in, their sport. But there's a lot of greenwash as well, in those, environment. And then I think we are in a place where awareness and consciousness is present. People are aware of what we're facing, what the challenges are globally and for humanity moving forward, and how much it's putting the sport industry at risk. But we're a large industry as well with billions of dollars. we're a large mass of people that take part on a daily basis into sports. So it is time that now the awareness switch and transition into a bit more of an action plan phase.

Sid: 17:17

And to push those organizations, in the sport industry listening to you. So the main, or let's say the driving force to trigger the change is the athletes themselves and saying that, how do you see athletes using their platforms to raise awareness? Or let's say beyond raising awareness, because everyone knows that climate change is a reality. It's not, fake news. so how do you see them using the platforms, mainly social platforms and followers to talk about these, important issues and push their clubs, their organizations, their local governing body to to take action.

Philippe: 17:52

Yeah. there's so many angles and there's so many ways that this can be accomplished. Yet. it takes numbers, it takes a lot of athlete, it takes a lot of people, and I think it has to fire from every angle. I don't think athletes are the only one that needs to have an impact. I think they're one of the key players for sure, and the whole sports system and all the stakeholders, between you and I, when we grew up, we're, we've always, if you're an athlete, if you spend a little time in sport, we have our icon, we have our role model. We have names and sport that we idolize, that we see them as everything. I remember as a kid where if an athlete would wear something, if an athlete would do a gesture, I'd be, right after that'd be on my skis trying to mimic and to do the same and wear the same clothes. So athlete have that power to be role models in their, in society. Athletes now were in the past, the only media and the only tools they had were traditional medias from journal to tv, radio, and now, Athletes have created brands that are bigger than their sport and bigger than their teams. Athletes have created image and have the platform to be vocal. They have, social media has created this wonderful tool. Obviously he's got two side of the metal there, but that has created this wonderful tool to offer visibility and, and be a strong voice. so I, I think this is how athletes can get together, can use their, and or have a positive impact and really be aware and really pause some action and some. Some concrete. Example, set the example for sight in general and for younger fans and for acting and young sport enthusiasts around the world. So this is how I see it, and I think if everyone does it a little bit from all different sport background and from all different areas of the world. I think this kind of powerful, unify, voice will definitely generate some, we'll turn some eyes and we will turn some eyes from government to corporate and organizational standpoint. And this is what we want. This is where the decisions are happening. This is where the big money is playing a key factor. So I think. I think athletes have a part to play for sure.

Sid: 20:07

Yeah, and do you see coaches as well, they should speak up more? They should engage? Or, cause we see more athletes becoming activists and talk talks about this important issues, but we hardly see or notice. Any coach raising those issues, of course they have a job to do and at the end of the month they are paid. But, will be good to see more coaches talking about this issue, especially in your sports in, Winter Sports where there is so much, the climate change has disrupted completely the, the games and, and the fixtures around the world.

Philippe: 20:41

Yeah, and that's a great point, Sid, and I think this maybe coach are a little more tentative because they don't necessarily have the same platform visibility as. Some of their bigger image athletes have. but you're right, as coaches, you see the impact on your day-to-day planning. when you're creating your calendar, when you're chatting with your administrator and when you're budgeting, there's so much more stress now. and how are we gonna achieve it? How are we gonna find snow for us, for instance, is a huge battle. Where are we gonna go? Where how are we gonna. How are we gonna plan around that? And we see a lot of stress as well in our athletes as well that are facing like the financial burden sometimes that are fa facing the mental, emotional and sensitive like burden as well of like living in this uncertainty and are we gonna be able to ski at this place? We've always been and so forth. So I think coaches right now, maybe like hammering this issue maybe more from. From like a management standpoint, they probably go a bit more towards their leaders and their support organization. But I think they, they certainly, like I said, I think it's not only the athletes, I think it comes from all angles. I think it comes from administrative coaches, sponsors, it comes from event organizer. Everyone, I think has a key role to play, or at least a role to play that will have an impact in how we shape the future of sport.

Sid: 21:55

it's like, Fine balance from an athlete point of view to fully focus into their performance and training and to deliver better results But in the same time, to focus and talk and speak up about, sustainability, about climate change, about the impact it has within the sport. And just one example Philippe, we all seen, in the track cross country or, alpine skiing or snowboarding We all seen on, on the pists, the guns shooting, artificial snow.

Philippe: 22:25

guns Mm-hmm.

Sid: 22:25

And then we know by default, the little ones, they find that cool and amazing But we know that there is something wrong. It requires a lot of water. It requires energy to, power those guns Do we need to accept this is the reality and if we need to go skiing in the future, we're gonna see more and more, artificial snow guns

Philippe: 22:44

guns Mm-hmm. Yeah, unfortunately I think it's sad, but I think it is. I think, I think we are gonna, we are gonna see a lot more manmade snow. We are seeing it at our events. Alpine skiing is the same. Cross country is the same, snowboards is the same. We see a lot of our events switching to a lot more manmade snow than before. I think we are seeing artificial, skiing location. we're seeing a lot of, Snow farming. where people try to save snow at the end of a winter cycle and put tarps and protect it to save it for early training and then the next fall. So those are just new, or I shouldn't say new technology, but there are new ways to kinda people are finding to try to maintain the same amount of ski days at the end of the, in, in an annual cycle. But I think it is a bit of a sad reality, but I think it's what we're facing. I spent a lot of time in Europe this past winter, and it was the worst shape I've I'd ever seen. the mountains, whether it was, In France or in Switzerland and Italy. I think the Alps in general, the Pyrenees, some of the worst, snow condition I've seen, ever. So we are facing those reality and it's probably looking like the summer's gonna be a very hot one again, and, we're stuck a bit in that vicious cycle right now. So winter is facing disruption like never before and snow is affected quite drastically. So we're, we are seeing a little bit more of this manmade snow, the snow guns that we see in artificial snow. And this is, like you said, man, like you mentioned, it's a lot of water. It's a lot of energy. There's not much that can be done right now unless we unify ourselves and really tackle this issue as a whole globally. But again, hard to do because we consume a lot as human being and it is hard. It is hard to reduce and it's hard to make that the new way forward. And, I think we, we need to find ways to still try to go at it and unify our voice to really change the course of our history here.

Sid: 24:44

And as an athlete, have you encounter or find any resistance or challenges while advocating for sustainability within your community?

Philippe: 24:54

In my personal experience, it is never been very bad. I think depending on what's the storyline and how you address this issue, it really changed the way it resonated with people. Iet me be more clear in my experience, I try to always, play a bit of an activist advocate role where it's like a a full glass. We are facing a reality that's hard to talk about. We don't want to necessarily point finger at people, and we always want to look at what can we do better? How can we get more people invested? And, motivated and inspired by this movement, how we can we tackle climate change together? Like how can we not seek perfection but seek improvement? And if everyone improved by that kind of 1% rule, I think as a whole we can have a major impact. So when you talk about those topics with coming in with that angle, it is much better. there's more respected, it is more welcome with open arms. I think it's when people are pretty harsh and starting to point finger and really see a bit of this issue as being a bit of a black and white issue. It's just so much happening. It's such a gray area. There's, it is such a large blending topic where it faces every industry, every part of our ecosystems. That we can only come in from the angle that we know that we represent, and an angle that is this forcing incremental improvement.

Sid: 26:16

And, what are your thoughts on, national and international governing bodies introducing regulations and policies, restricting teams and individual athletes from using their platform and audience to address critical issues like gender equality, social injustice, women's right, and climate change, and the environment.

Philippe: 26:36

No. Yeah. And under a prime example would be the Rule 50 of the International Olympic Committee. but yeah, it's such a tough question. It's tough, like, when you like the primary answer I want to give you is this is ridiculous. and people should definitely have, use the platform the way they want, but then on the other end, there is abuse and there, there is, where does your freedom kind of start impacting someone else's freedom? So there has to be some kind of guidelines. But the guidelines should, should definitely not be restrictive. This should be inclusive. That's always the angle that you wanna, you want to tackle. those hard question. But in terms of sustainability, and it's in terms of like environment and then try to be a bit more eco-friendly in the way we want to see the future of sports shaping up. I think there's no question. I think we cannot be re restricted. I think there has to be, it has to be an open dialogue. It has to be an open platform. those conversation needs to happen and they need it to happen, but they need to happen now really fast. They need to, we need to take action and support organization. And whoever is involved within the support system has to really be questioning their practices. So I think for me, this is straightforward, some hard conversation, that I've been topics over the last couple years. Within the Olympic movement, for instance, could be, you could argue that some type of guideline are needed. But when we talk strictly about sustainability, I think it's like we gotta open the valves and really make it a strong, deep dive into the topic and as soon as possible,

Sid: 28:09

Yeah. I will change the topic slightly. And, I need your, opinion and perspective on the involvement of fossil fuel companies in the sport industry through advertising and sponsorship. you think like tobacco was, couple of decades ago, ban and alcohol brands as well. Do you foresee or see something like this will happen with fossil fuel, brands?

Philippe: 28:32

I think we're only steps away from it. I think we're only steps away from separating those entities. I think, like you mentioned, tobacco, alcohol entities. were, involved in sport for many years, but there was a strong link that obviously tobacco and alcohol had an impact on heath. So we, that's not the message we wanted to share with future generation and our kids practicing and getting involved in sport. I think we're at the point in time in our history where we're pretty conscious and aware that the fossil fuel industry is affecting our environment where we practice our sports. They're affecting our outdoor, our community or spaces or environment, our forest, our mountains, or seas. so I think we are really steps away from creating a bit of a separation, between those partnership, the commercial partnership that we have. The only issue is we need people common sense and we need people to really buy in what's best as a whole and not what's best for a certain profile and entity. at the end of the day, like any other corporate or organization support, As a system rely a lot on money, and right now a lot of their, the money and a lot of funding is through government banks. It's through fossil fuel, companies. So how do we transition out of it? We just have to make a bit of a social responsible, advancement, here and change. I think I, I like to hope that we're only years away from creating that bridge, but we'll see.

Sid: 29:56

I hope so. We spoke about the involvement and the impact of the athletes, the coaches, the sporting organizations, Let's talk about the fans because at the end of the day, we are in the entertainment business. So basically we are producing. show to fans to our spectators, to the followers, and without them there is no value. How can fans encourage their favorite sport teams or events to adopt more sustainable and carbon neutral practices?

Philippe: 30:23

Yeah, that's a good question. I think that the simple. answer to that is with their wallet, it comes down to like, where are they gonna put their money? And, it comes down to the money. The is the money talk, what they're gonna invest in, where they gonna spend their dollars, and if they're gonna make social and responsible choices, it all comes down to that. And I think after that organization, we'll will, Who have no other choice than changing their practices. we see it a lot already. We see it in a lot of different parts of the world, whether as in Europe, North America. There, there are parts where transportation to events is changing drastically, the way they're building stadium, with Zero Net Carbon Emission. The way the Olympic movement is also changing to be carbon neutral at least, and potentially a carbon positive in a couple addition of the Olympic Games, right? So we see it a lot and the way it's evolving. But at the end of the day, in terms of fan, it comes down to what are they buying? What do they want, what are they going to eat, what are they gonna purchase as merch? and what, so as a whole, fans need to be educated, they need to be aware and conscious that they can have a lot of impact. And we see it in all industry, whether it's clothing, as soon as you are part of a. Consumption industry where you consume a product and the service, the what you consume more will have an impact on how the world's gonna evolve. so I think it's, yeah, comes down to the money,

Sid: 31:49

And do you see one day maybe, fans can hold accountable, their favorite team or club towards its environmental impact.

Philippe: 31:57

Certainly. And I hope they do so I think. I think the way we consume product gives us also a voice that didn't really exist prior to, if you look back at 10, 15 years from now, but now customer service has changed quite drastically over, the interaction, the marketing that you have with your fan and your consumer is very different. It's evolved to a point where it is very important to stay put with and stay aligned with what your fans, what your consumer want at the end of the day. Now, one, one bad critics can make a lot of waves. the way the information is shared now these days. and information and anything can become viral and the moment of seconds. Accountability is more important than transparency. Those are all words that I've been used, tremendously and maybe I've lost some values in a sense, but those are all words that, that have become more and more important in the way sport marketing is changing.

Sid: 32:48

And in your sport, Philippe, within the international governing body and even the local, Canadian, governing body. Do you see the athletes? Because most of the, international federation there is, coaches commission and there is athlete commission as well. And even within the I.O.C, do you see the athletes now and the coaches as well within those organization talking a lot or frequently about this issue? Uh,

Philippe: 33:10

in reality, not enough. Not enough. I think it is a, it's a topic that has been, definitely part of the round table conversation more, it is one that, at least from a Canadian Olympic committee standpoint, is starting to resonate where Canadian Olympic Committee is measuring. And in trying to reduce its footprint, and it's also reporting a bit more and being a bit more transparent with that. but again, like the reality is still it is not a priority. It is one of many topics around the table. we are in a very reactive time in our history. I feel like. We are not very proactive in where we want to go. We are reactive to issues we are facing in Canada right now. There's a bit of a safe sport, storm that is really impacting the system from, grassroots to high performance. so it's been kinda like injecting money has been having open conversation. It's been changing governance around this. so by the time you're doing that and you're moving the direction of your ship, you're not spending a lot of time talking about climate change and sustainable practice. So it is, it's been hard. It's been, it is been one topic that's been really hard to put and push on people's agenda. And I feel there was, and maybe you'll, it'll resonate with you in Europe, but I feel it was this, it was some kind of momentum Pre Pandemic and then the pandemic hit and then climate change became suddenly a bit of a second priority where. COVID-19, the pandemic became kinda like on everyone's lip back, all you could hear about in the media, in your organization at work, whether it was with your social network, is just around that. And prior to that, I feel like we were making some moves and then I feel like it just boom. a couple years back. And I feel now again, as we kinda get out of the pandemic here. I feel like, okay, now we're bringing the conversation on the table. We're seeing heat waves, we're seeing wildfire all adding, we're seeing, the way our winters are affected and we are seeing the way the storms are affecting our communities. And it's just that the extreme weather changes and the patterns are just affecting us not like once a year or twice a year. Now it's monthly, it's weekly. so now it's back on the conversation. It's back on the table. And I think it's hard to be in a society that is a bit more on the reactive train than the proactive train and trying to build a future instead of just like patch, patch the issues. So it's something that I found it hard, and in the Canadian support system. to circle back to the initial question, we've been just patching a lot of old issue and we've had a hard time to, to move this topic at the front of the agenda.

Sid: 35:53

Yeah. Yeah. Great. Now it's time for the lightning questions. Are you up for some speedy Q&A?

Philippe: 36:00

I'll try. Try my best.

Sid: 36:01

Let's go. What's your favorite way to stay active?

Philippe: 36:05

A big sport guy. anything from cycling, running, trail running, tennis, aki, obviously skiing and back country skiing, touring still very high on my list, but, this is still where I find the most joy, relaxation. where it is, it get me in this meditated, flowy state. sport for always,

Sid: 36:27

Perfect. What's your perspective on the future of sustainable sports?

Philippe: 36:31

I like to think that it's gonna be a rollercoaster. I like to think that we are gonna make a lot of improvement and we are gonna add the technology and the people to push those forward. But I think it's gonna get harder first. I think we're, at the bottom. I think it's gonna get a lot harder. We are gonna have to be very resilient. But if something doesn't scare, doesn't afraid support people is, it's resiliency to get up when you get down to fill and get back up and, To create this, underdog story. So I'm optimist.

Sid: 37:01

Good. What is the one thing you wish everyone knew about sustainability?

Philippe: 37:06

I wish that it's gonna be the biggest race, the biggest competition, the biggest struggle over lifetime. I don't think people take it as seriously as it needs. That's what I wish. Yeah. I wish people knew how big of a battle that it is and how we could become victorious by just unifying ourselves. But again, tough to do. Tough to do because in the world we get different people with different wealth. We get countries with different, that are really differently developed. so we're all such a different stage that it's really hard to unify our voice and think globally.

Sid: 37:43

What book, movie or documentary do you recommend for people on sustainability?

Philippe: 37:50

Oh God, I don't really have one specifically. I just, I seek information from any sources. listen to a lot of podcasts like yours. I think it, it pers it just brings so many different various opinions, which I think is key in this topic. If you only listen to sports sustainability stuff, you get really, a bit of a tunnel vision. And you get really biased in, in when you talk about sustainability effort and, equal responsible action and clean energy switch and transition. so I, I like to really listen to and read from different sources. So nothing really stands out, Sid. So not a great answer. Sorry.

Sid: 38:26

No worries. Which leader, past or present do you admire the most?

Philippe: 38:30

If we stick only on sustainability, Or

Sid: 38:33

It's open up to you.

Philippe: 38:34

I'll go with sustainability because, because this organization is one that I'm part of. and it's a community that really helped me. get educated in this space. so I have to say, Protect Our Winters, was, is a fantastic not-for-profit that does a lot of advocation, advocating work, at government and corporate level. it is a organization that started in the us. With a pro professional snowboarder who's fabulous to watch, ride also, his name is Jeremy Jones. And, they had a big work. they played a key role in the Inflation reduction Act that was passed last August in the States, that, president Biden was signatory of, and this will be one of the, this is to this time, probably one of the most impactful legislation that was ever passed, at Capitol Hill in the US in Washington. So this is gonna help a lot in clean energy transitions. So for me, this is the power of number power of people that are passionate about outdoor, saving their community, saving their environment, caring about, not only what. What they share as passion, but caring about the future of sport, caring about the future of this planet, and for generation and generation to come. This organization for me is highly inspiring. Jeremy Jones, who's American, and started the company is highly inspiring. and again, someone that started by just a bit of a realization that, hey, my, my mountains, the place I ride, the sport I love is changing in front of my eyes and I want to do something about it. And, start by just being as simple as. What is climate change and try to learn about, about that, how it's changing around us, and then talking about that with friends, with parents, with, community. And next thing you know, 20 years later you're wearing suit and you're, talking at the Senate and you're, taking a very strong voice in this movement. So I think that there's no, and as actually we know that, but you. There's no small dream. you can really move, a lot of people and a lot of action forward if you start small and you believe in yourself and in your cause. yeah, long answer, sorry for the rapid fire, but now that this highly inspiring people and organization

Sid: 40:40

Yeah, no, very interesting. Very interesting. One piece of good advice for the listeners on any topic.

Philippe: 40:48

Play outside, be active. yeah, that, I think that's where it all start. Like health or health is everything, lt, body lt, mine. And this is where we are the most joyful and the most happy in life. and once we be, we are active, we realize the beauty of our world, we realize the beauty of our environment. We, we realize the beauty of nature and we realize the way we're screwing up. so I think it's go outside, be active play sport is the biggest advice I can give to anyone of all ages.

Sid: 41:22

Fantastic. Phillippe, thank you very much for your time and for being part of our discussion today and for sharing your invaluable insights. Your passion and dedication to sustainability and, athlete activism are genuinely inspiring. I really appreciate your presence and knowledge you've conveyed. Thanks a lot, Philip, and best of luck.

Philippe: 41:42

Sid, thank you very much for having me. It was a pleasure and wish you a great summer and I wish us a great victory over the climate change in years to come.

Sid: 41:51

I really enjoyed speaking to Phillip Marquis. In this thought provoking. Episode, we explore the impact of climate change on the sports and inferential role of athlete, activism for sustainability. We discussed the practical challenges, athletes face the inspiring initiatives, undertaken by athletes to raise awareness and drive positive change. And the crucial role of fans in boosting sustainable practices within. The sports industry. We also examine the challenges and opportunities for athletes and teams in addressing the environmental impact and navigating governing restrictions. Additionally, we touched on the involvement of fossil fuel companies in the sports industry and the potential for a more sustainable future. Philippe shared his admiration for the organization, he is part of Protect Our Winters, which advocates for sustainability at the government and corporate level. Philippe highlighted the power of passionate individuals coming together to protect our environment and the future of sports. As we conclude this insightful episode, when you recognize the profound impact of climate change on the sports world and the power of athlete activism in driving sustainability. Athletes, Coaches, Fans, and Sports Organizations all play a vital role in promoting sustainable practices and addressing the environmental challenges. Together. We can create a future where sports entertain and inspire positive change for our planet. Thank you for joining us on this journey of exploring the intersection of climate change, athlete activism, events, innovation, and sustainability in sports. We hope this episode will spark and trigger meaningful conversations and inspired you to take actions in your own lives and communities. Remember each small step towards sustainability matters. Whether advocating for change supporting eco-friendly sports events, or holding the sports industry accountable. We all have the power to make a difference. Let us unite our voices and efforts to create a future where sports sustainability go hand in hand. If you enjoyed our podcast and today's episode, we would greatly appreciate your support in spreading the word. Please download, subscribe, and leave a comment on your preferred platform. We also welcome suggestions for topics you would like us to cover in upcoming episodes. Thank you for joining our show today. Stay tuned for more engaging, open and trailing conversations. I wish you a wonderful day ahead.