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Olympian Draws Inspiration from Blessed
Frassati
An Interview with Cross-country Olympic
Skier Rebecca Dussault
by Kristen J. Panico
What do Rebecca Dussault, a 2006 U.S.
Olympic skier, wife, and mother, and Blessed
Pier Giorgio Frassati, and Italian who lived
during the beginning of the 20th
century have in common? Their paths cross in
some unusual ways.
Blessed Frassati was born in Turin, Italy
and had a short but faithful life from 1901
to 1925. Declared Blessed in 1990 by Pope
John Paul II, Bl. Frassati enjoyed sports
and was an avid outdoorsman. His story
continues to impact others, and recent
Olympic competitor Rebecca Dussault credits
him as her inspiration.
Rebecca makes her home in Gunnison, CO. She
is an eight-time U.S. National Champion, and
a 2005 World Championship Team member. After
years of racing, it was appropriate that
when she reached the pinnacle of her goals
by competing in the Olympics, they happened
to be located in Turin, Italy, the hometown
of Blessed Frassati.
I first heard of Rebecca while channel
surfing in January 2006. She, along with her
husband, Sharbel, were guests on EWTN’s
Life On The Rock. So when I got the
opportunity to interview her, I jumped at
the chance. Below is a transcript of our
conversation on March 14.
Tell us about the Olympics, were they what
you expected?
Yes and No, the media attention was the
biggest surprise. At first I was overwhelmed
with the daily interviews; I spoke with
reporters from all over, including the
Washington Post and the Today Show.
Each interview was an incredible opportunity
to share Blessed Frassati’s story and
promote devotion to him.
Were you a bit of a novelty to reporters?
Yes, for many reasons. First because I am
married, which is rare for an athlete,
second because I am a mother, another
unusual characteristic, and finally for my
faith. Journalists wanted to know how I
handled balancing family and athletic life.
Basically, my husband and son travel with me
for all of my races, and although it can be
difficult at times, it is also a blessing.
Do you feel that you reached your goals at
the Olympics?
[Rebecca competed in three races. She placed
43rd in the Women’s 30 km Free,
14th in the Women’s 4x5 Relay,
and 48th in the Women’s 15km
Pursuit.]
Yes, I feel like the whole family did. I
wanted to finish in the top 20, but I did as
well as I could. I’ve had health issues all
year and since you can’t be sick for a 30km
race, the Olympics were my best skiing all
year. I was the top American in two out of
my three races, and very happy with that.
I read a few different interviews that
mention you had a hard time as a Catholic
teenager traveling in the world of
competitive skiing. What advice would you
give other athletes in similar situations?
Don’t be scared to live your faith. When I
was young and went on my first trip I was
hesitant to speak up and say that I wanted
to go to mass. When I stuck to it and showed
that I lived my faith I got respect from my
teammates.
How does your son, Tabor (4 years old), feel
about you racing? Does he understand it?
Sharbel and I have really made an effort to
talk to him and explain what is going on. He
understands so much more than I realized. He
knows that we would love to have another
baby after the Olympics, and asks for a
little sister. When Sharbel told him it was
my last race in Turin, Tabor actually
started to tear up.
You have a special devotion to Blessed
Frassati; can you share a little more about
that?
Originally I thought that Blessed Frassati
would help me, that he would intercede and
gain a miracle by helping me to win the
gold. Instead, it became an opportunity for
me to promote devotion to him.
I had the privilege of traveling to World
Youth Day this summer and stopped by the
Frassati summer home on the way there. About
fourteen of us from the Frassati Society
just rang the doorbell and his family
invited us in. We met his sister Luciana,
now 103 years old, and his niece Giovanna.
His niece, Wanda, ended up inviting us to
Rome after the games. We got to meet his
family, and touch his crucifix and rosary,
it was an amazing experience.
You met your husband at 11 and married him
at 19. Marrying your childhood sweetheart is
so rare in our culture now; do you have any
relationship advice for our Catholic Match
members?
Sharbel and I are best friends. We spent a
lot of time with our families, and knew each
other well. There were few surprises once we
got married. I would say not to rush things,
take the time to get to know each other and
your families, and marry your best friend.
Growing up his mom catechized us, so we grew
in our faith together. We share a spiritual
connection, and that is crucial.
Am I correct that you have one more race
coming up?
Yes, on March 19th I’ll be in the
50km California Gold Rush (Soda Springs,
CA), and I hope to win. [Ed. Note: On Sunday
March 19th, she placed 2nd overall and was
first in her age division. Congratulations
Rebecca!]
What are your plans for the future?
We have put off having a larger family for 2
½ years and are looking forward to focusing
on that now that the Olympic games are over.
Although the secular aspect of an event like
that is done, I am overwhelmed with the
spiritual blessings that continue to come of
it. This whole experience has just
reinforced to me that faith and
relationships are the truly lasting things
in life. I am thankful for the incredible
journey this has been.
To learn more about Blessed Pier Giorgio
Frassati:
www.bettnet.com/frassati
www.piergiorgiofrassati.org
Rebecca’s web site:
www.dussaultskis.com
Copyright © 2006, Catholic Match, LLC. All
Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
CatholicMatch is the world’s leading site
for Catholic singles:
www.catholicmatch.com
Kristen J. Panico is the Affiliate Program
Manager for CatholicMatch.com. She resides
in Pittsburgh, PA.
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