Patrice St-Louis Pivin is determined to rejoin Canada's track cycling team and compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

To help make it possible, he's seeking sponsorship to assist with his training in preparation for a 2023 international competition in Pennsylvania that will provide him with the opportunity to make the team. 

"I'm excited about the opportunity to represent Canada again in a sort that is widely recognized and supported on an international scale," says Pivin.

The 30-year-old competed for several years on the international stage, including a bronze medal performance in a three-man sprint event at the 2016 Pan Am Championship.

He competed in other events for Canada, including multiple World Cups and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

He was the gate and had the job of getting the team from zero to 65-68k per hour in 250m.

Pivin says he still holds the record for the fastest start time of 17.75 seconds for Team Canada. He says the team hasn't pushed past 18.10 secs. since.

When Team Canada ended its men's sprint team, he took a chance and moved from Quebec to Calgary to try out for Bobsleigh Skeleton Canada. He became a member of Team Canada's bobsleigh development program, mainly competing in the four-man bob as a brakeman but also in two-man bob. He last competed as part of a four-man team that placed third at Lake Placid 2 in 2020 before the pandemic curbed sporting activities.

Pivin suffered some major injuries during bobsleigh training for the 2022 Winter Olympics and switched back to track cycling when he received word that team sprint was coming back to Track Canada.

"Last year, still trying for the Olympics in bobsled, I had some bad crashes, injuries, and concussions. I had two concussions in two weeks, so I had to make a change to keep my brain healthier."

But there's more to it than that. Given a choice, track cycling is his sport of passion.

"I never forgot about cycling. I always wanted to stay there, but I needed a break. Now that my wife and her family are supporting me, it makes it way much easier to go back."

He resumed training in April.

Pivin says the reality is that Canadian Olympians receive a nominal amount of money during their training.

"To compete at the Olympics, you need to train 40-50 hours a week but then you need to work 40 hours a week, too, so it's hard to find the balance."

Pivin has already received some in-kind sponsorships and was recently provided $500 by the Cochrane Lions Club.

Lions president Chris Connon says the club wanted to help him with his aspirations and has sponsored other Olympians in the past, including Olympic medallist luger Tristan Walker.

"He's looking to get some sponsorships and get rolling and get back on the trail for the Olympics," says Connon. "Of course, we've supported other local Olympians before, so it was a no-brainer for us. It's always good to support a local athlete."

Besides training locally, Pivin hopes to train with former top-ranked Canadian sprinter Travis Smith, originally from Calgary, who has relocated to Los Angeles and is currently helping to train Team USA.

"For me to be able to relax a little bit and recover for real and to be able to focus only on sports with a training camp in Los Angeles for four to six months with that coach, I believe I can make it."

He also needs to update his bicycle to meet current race standards. 

In return, he will provide exposure to the sponsors, wear their logos, and make himself available for company events.

Pivin is originally from Windsor, QC, and came to the Calgary area three years ago to join the bobsled team.

His Olympic pursuit started in 2016. It was a CrossFit coach that encouraged him.

"He made me try track cycling and bobsled and then he talked to me about doing RBC training ground, which is the big competition in Canada where they try to recruit the next Olympians, and I won the competition."

The one-day event at Montreal's Olympic Stadium tested strength, power, and endurance in 10 events. He received a cash prize and was given a choice of an Olympic sport to pursue. He selected track cycling and entered his first international competition three months later.

"I always liked danger, which is why I chose track cycling and bobsled, two sports where you put your life at risk. It can be pretty dangerous, although in track cycling you have more control, but I like to go fast."

You can contact Pivin at pivinp@live.ca or through his Instagram account patpivin.

patricePatrice St-Louis Pivin is on Instragam and be also be contacted via email.