Northern Ontario athletes help North Korean skating duo train

When preparing to compete at an international sporting event such as the Olympics, you might not think about one country helping to train another.

But that's what happened with northern Ontario figure skating duo Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford with athletes from North Korea.

Recently, North Korea announced it will be sending a delegation to the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea. Skaters Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-Sik finished in the top six in a qualifying event to secure a spot.

But they didn't get there without the assistance of Canadian athletes. Duhamel says the team came to them and asked if they could help.

"They were really looking for advice and for guidance on how they could become a medal contending team in the future," she said.

She says she, her coach and husband Bruno Marcotte, met with the North Korean athletes. The Korean athletes eventually came to Montreal for two months.

On and off ice training

"We kind of worked on everything," Duhamel said.

"I taught them a lot of off ice exercises and off ice training that I do."

She says that off ice training included pilates and stretch classes. She adds a lot of on ice training was done as well, including jumps and performing.

"They were like sponges. They wanted to get any piece of information and advice that they could," she said.

"Whatever we told them, they practiced it 110 per cent."

Duhamel says when the athletes left Montreal last summer, they said they want to return with more skaters for training in Canada.

"They spoke a lot about how much they enjoyed Canada," she said.

"They said that they found Canada, in particular Montreal … they said they felt very safe and very peaceful here and they said it reminded them of their home because their home was very safe and peaceful."

In the past when North Korea has taken part in the Olympics, athletes from South Korea have often joined them to march into the event together. There is talk that could happen at the upcoming games.

"I think it's amazing," Duhamel said.

"It's long been lost a little bit about the peace and unity that the Olympic Games is supposed to bring."

'Personal goals'

Duhamel and Radford competed against the North Korean pair in the past at the World Championships in Finland.

"We each have our own personal goals," she said.

"Their goal was to qualify a spot for their country at the Olympics and to one day contend for medals in the way that Eric and I have been able to do."

As for the upcoming Olympics, Duhamel says she and Radford are aiming for a medal in South Korea.

"We're competing against each other but maybe just at different stages," she said.

"Eric and I are nearing the end of our career now and I really think a team like this is the future."