One of Biathlon Canada’s most respected athletes, Melanie Schultz, has chosen to retire from the sport in order to pursue a career.
After health issues kept her from racing most of the season, Shultz, 26, decided to end her biathlon career after the 2013 Canadian National Championships in Whistler. She’s been plagued by low energy this season, and hasn’t trained since January, but doctors haven’t been able to make a diagnosis.
“I definitely have mixed feelings about it. I really enjoyed being involved in biathlon for so long, but I’m also ready to explore other hobbies outside of the sport and have time for other aspects of my life,” Schultz said.
A consistent performer on the World Cup and IBU Cup biathlon circuits, Schultz was voted Biathlon Canada female athlete of the year in 2011/2012. Her career spanned 10 years and took her around the globe, but she‘ll never forget her World Cup debut in Rupholding, Germany where she joined Canada’s relay team.
“It was the Olympic year and one of the usual women on the World Cup got sick. I got a last minute call saying we need you for this relay because this is the last relay before the Olympics,” Schultz said.
“It was a huge step. I arrived to 30,000 screaming fans doing a night race. It was an amazing, energizing atmosphere.
“The stadium was full of spectators that were cheering, drinking beer, waving flags. There was a massive amount of energy. Skiing along the track, it was lined with spectators, 10 deep yelling at everybody as they go by. They all have a start list so they know my name and they’re shouting ‘go Melanie.’ You’re watched constantly everywhere you go on the track, so it’s super motivating.”
She made three World Cup starts the following year, racing against the best on the planet. Her best result at that level was a ninth-place finish on a team relay, despite the fact she battled hypoglycemia throughout her career. She is one of the only endurance athletes in the sport that faces the ailment, which results in sugar highs and lows.
“It took a long time to get diagnosed. It’s been a trial and error process. There’s not a lot of information out there from endurance athletes having reactive hypoglycemia. It’s something I still struggle with,” she said. However, instead of letting the ailment hinder her, she allowed it to spark a deep appreciation for food.
“I started to really understand food and nutrition and how everything affects my body,” Schultz said.
As for her Olympic dreams, Schultz came close to making the 2010 Vancouver Olympics squad, where she was narrowly edged by Rosanna Crawford for the final spot.
“The trials for 2010 Olympics was a huge moment for me. I had just moved to Canmore, broke my leg and was out for the season. Next year, I wasn’t expecting to come that close to making the team and I don’t think many others were either,” Schultz said.
She’s at peace with retiring before the 2014 Olympics, knowing there was no guarantee her body would recover from the mystery ailment.
“Where my body and mind are, this is the best decision. I’ve always said the minute I’m not fully enjoying it, I’m done. My body is not fully responding to training how it should be. I focused on racing in these Olympics, but it’s not everything to me. I’m happy I got to race at the highest level,” Schultz said.
Finances also played a role in her decision to leave. Biathletes often end their season with bills in excess of $20,000 and Schultz said it’s one of the biggest problems with the sport.
“It’s quite an expensive sport. You never know from year to year how much funding there will be and what your cost will be. Luckily, I had great employers at Hicks and Associates that let me work part-time. That was always a stress, the financial component,” Schultz said.
Reflecting upon her career, Schultz said the lifestyle and friendships is what she’ll remember most.
“I loved the training. That was what initially got me involved in biathlon. When I first started, racing wasn’t really my main focus. I grew to love the racing over the years. I was on a lot of great teams that were fun to be around and train with,” Schultz said.
“A lot of people had a lot of roles, but (coach) Roddy Ward had the most influence. He’s been there from the day I started biathlon. Directly and indirectly, he’s supported me for years.”
