Five Canadian champions fueled by eggs

For world-class athletes, a hunger for victory gets you up in the morning. Eggs help competitors win by providing the fuel they need for peak performance. They are jam-packed with protein, iron and 14 important vitamins and nutrients—a winning combination.

We’re going to show you five great Canadian athletes who depend on the power of eggs for the nutrition they need. It’s a perfect food for those who love to work out, and these Canadian icons are living proof:

Mitchell Islam, Olympic ice dance figure skater

Mitchell Islam is one half of an ice dancing duo that represented Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.¹ Together with his partner Alexandra Paul, the pair earned many medals in their career on the skating circuit.

Mitchell once gave the Toronto Star a sneak peak of his diet. At 7 am, he starts his day with a fried egg sandwich—two eggs with cheese, tomato and mayo, alongside a cool glass of orange juice.²

Patrice Bergeron, NHL hockey player

Hailing from Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Patrice Bergeron was called by one commentator “pound for pound… the best player in the NHL.”³ He’s won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward three times,⁴ and is one of a small number of players in history to win a World Juniors Championship, Olympic gold, and a Stanley Cup.⁵ That’s a lot of winning—and how does Patrice fuel his victories? The Toronto Star once asked him what he had for breakfast, and—no surprise—he had an “omelette… can’t go wrong with that!”⁶

Stephanie Labbé, goalkeeper

With a seemingly endless list of medals to her name, Stephanie Labbé is a star on the Canadian soccer scene. She made her Olympic debut in the 2016 Olympics at Rio de Janeiro, where she only conceded four goals in a series of games that led Canada to win the bronze medal.⁷ On a Sunday morning, this athlete loves nothing more than granola/muesli, yogurt, coffee… and, of course, eggs.⁸

Valérie Grenier, alpine skier

Valérie is a Canadian superstar on the rise. She ranked 3rd at the World Junior Championships in Giant Slalom, and is on her way towards being a contender at the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.⁹ But most interesting to us is the fact that Valérie grew up on an egg farm. According to her, “work on the farm is hard but gratifying… there will be setbacks but you can never give up.” It’s advice she has carried with her as an athlete, and it’s not the only thing she learned from life on an egg farm. She learned to love eggs. “I always start my morning off with two eggs because they are the best, packed with 6 grams of high-quality protein and 14 important nutrients. They’re simple, delicious and nutritious and they help keep me energized throughout the day.”¹⁰

Hayley Wickenheiser, the “female Gordie Howe”

She’s a four-time Olympic gold medalist, and Wayne Gretzky himself has called her the “female Gordie Howe”.¹¹ She’s hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser, the all-time leader in points for Canada’s national women’s team (168 goals, in case you are wondering).¹² This champion loves eggs. “Eggs are important to me,” she says, “as a high performance athlete and as a mom.”¹³

Are you an athlete who loves eggs? We’d love to hear your story—tweet us at @eggsoeufs and tell us how eggs fuel your success.

¹ Skate Canada
² Toronto Star
³ New England Cable News
⁴ NHL
⁵ WEEI-FM
⁶ Toronto Star
⁷ Canadian Olympic Team
⁸ Edmonton Sun
⁹ Egg Farmers of Canada
¹⁰ Egg Farmers of Canada
¹¹ National Hockey League
¹² National Hockey League
¹³ Hockey Canada

---