September 20, 2013 – FIS Cross-Country News caught up with Canada’s rising star Lenny Valjas talking about recover from a knee surgery, plans for the upcoming winter and windsurfing in Hawaii.

You just recently had knee surgery. Was this a planned procedure or the result of an injury this summer?
Lenny Valjas: My knee was bugging me for a while. The surgery wasn’t a result of an injury. I haven’t been able to do proper leg strength for a couple years now, and my leg has lost a lot of muscle so I had to try something. I was told this surgery would increase my performance significantly, who would say no to that. It’s a risky time to get this surgery but I’m hopeful that it will pay off for me.

FIS world cup cross-country, mass men, Falun (SWE) © Noric Focus

What is your recovery time and are you able to do any upper body activities to maintain your fitness?
LV: Recovery has been slow but on schedule, It’s now been 8 weeks with no real cardio. I have been keeping myself busy with lots of upper body strength and physio exercises. I am hoping to get back on roller skis soon and work on my fitness since its kind of a big year. 😉 I’ve heard the Norwegians and Russians train really hard for skiing, I was thinking about giving it a try this year. Those Sochi courses are tough so I’m going to have to bring my fitness to the next level by February.

Does this change any plans you had for the coming winter, especially the Olympics? Will we see you delay that start to your World Cup season?
LV: I don’t see this affecting me. If anything it should make me stronger. It has been really nice to take a break and let my body rest and recover. I am still planning on a beyond full recovery by the start of the World Cups.

It was a tough year for the Canadian team last season. From a historical standpoint it was still a great success, but wasn’t as strong as it has been the past few years. Despite this you had another strong season recording a handful of top tens and two podiums. What is the feeling within the team heading into the Sochi Olympic games?
LV: All of our guys are fired up for this season. Last season was clearly not where we wanted to be as a team, but this year we have made some changes to training and recovery and went back to what we know works for us in the past.

What are your goals for the games. You have had success in many competition formats. Are you focusing on any in particular?
LV: I have not made any goals for myself yet. I definitely am focusing on a couple races in particular. I really want to have good races in the 15km CL, Sprint, and the 4x10km Relay.

This spring your spent 6 weeks in Hawaii windsurfing. Where did this passion come from and do you find it helps you unwind from a long winter competing in the Northern Hemisphere?
LV: I have always been a “waterman” at heart. Growing up in Ontario, I would spend my summers at the cottage playing in the water. It has always been my passion. There is nothing I look forward to more than getting to Maui after a long World Cup season. For the people that have visited me in Maui know that I am not there resting. There is no shortage of fun things to do there, and I always pack my day with fun activities. I have a storage locker with 9 surfboards and windsurfers and every other water toy imaginable ready to share with friends. It is great mental rest for me, I never think about skiing while I am there.

Looking again to the Olympics is the men’s 4x10km relay a focus for the team? With Devon Kershaw, Alex Harvey, Ivan Babikov and yourself – all of whom have recorded World Cup podiums – do you consider yourselves contenders for a medal?
LV: All I want is for all of us to have great races that day. I know we have one of the strongest teams in the world, so of course I consider us contenders. There are many countries that have strong teams as well, so we just have to fight hard and ski like we have proven we can.