MONTGOMERY, Vt. — When Elle Purrier St. Pierre races off to Tokyo for the summer Olympics, she'll have her maple syrup nearby. Her husband, a dairy farmer and sugarer, always makes sure she has a piece of home in her pre-race oatmeal.
Montgomery is a farming town, dependent on its agricultural lifestyle and the opportunities it provides for its residents. In a town of less than 800 people, track and field Olympian Purrier St. Pierre and her husband, Jamie St. Pierre, crossed paths early.
"Everything that Elle has ever done, she has been good at," St. Pierre said as he was reminiscing on their old 4-H livestock showing competitions at county fairs in rural northern Vermont.
While St. Pierre, like most kids their age at the time, said he may have had his sights set on the carnival rides and good eats, Elle — pronounced "ell-ee" by friends and family — as always, was there to win.
"She is competitive as all hell and wants to win," St. Pierre said. "Whether it is cornhole, putting hours in on the farm or track meets — she comes to win."
The couple, who recently tied the knot at their family's dairy farm, have been dating since their freshman year of high school, but they met long before that growing up in a part of Vermont where they are likely to pick-up Canadian cell service at their home versus U.S. service.
St. Pierre, who studied animal science at Cornell University, has been there for Elle, physically as a training partner but also emotionally as a partner in life, throughout her running career. Tokyo — although it will be the longest distance between the two of them — won't be the first time they are going to be separated.
With the families of Olympians not allowed to travel to Tokyo because of Covid-19 restrictions, Jamie will be forced to stay at home to watch her compete in the 1500-meter race.
"What I have always found special is the way they have been able to stay committed to each other through everything," Amanda St. Pierre, Jamie's mother, said as she was tearing up thinking about their different journeys.
Jamie St. Pierre has been all over the world learning different dairy farming techniques including in Italy and China and at the same time Purrier St. Pierre was running for the University of New Hampshire. While in Doha, Qatar for one of her races, Jamie St. Pierre found the time to visit a local farm to learn how dairy farming is different in the Middle East, striking a balance between their two lives.
Despite working long hours on the farm, that doesn't stop Jamie St. Pierre from taking a few hours out of his day to help his wife train while she is home.
"We went over to Lake Carmi for some water training and she's walking through the water with a floaty, while I was in a kayak and all you can see is her head popping out of the water," St. Pierre said with a laugh. "And sometimes I will follow along with her on my bike through the trails near our home, that's the only way I can keep up."
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Charlie Purrier, Elle's father and longtime farmer, said that when Elle gets nervous before a race and can sometimes find herself comparing her abilities to other runners, he reminds her that she belongs there and is an 11-time All-American, while competing at the collegiate level for UNH. A sentiment that Jamie St. Pierre also finds himself relaying to her.
"She is more than capable of competing and we are going to be following along," Purrier said.
To help take her mind off the races Jamie St. Pierre often fills Elle in on what's going on at the farm and their family. He said that Elle wishes she could be there to help, and when she is home she has to be reminded to relax.
She has finished half the battle already. She qualified for the U.S. Olympic team. Now all she has to do is run.
When driving around Montgomery and the surrounding towns in the weeks leading up to the summer Olympics, the outpouring of support is apparent. Signs cheering her on are scattered throughout, including at a local bar where they know her favorite drink, at the recreational center where she spent a lot of her childhood and the paths that she runs on when she is home.
When Elle and Jamie Purrier St. Pierre aren't working the two like to hunt. Their home is filled with Jamie's best deer and bear kills. However, yet to be added to the walls, are Elle's turkey hunts. The competitive nature in Elle came out in one hunt as Jamie recalled a group of spooked turkeys that flew away from them and instead of letting them go, her Olympic training kicked in and she chased after them. Needless to say, she ran the turkeys down.
They also enjoy skiing Jay Peak Mountain, which overlooks their family's farm. Self-described as outdoorsy and active people, they still find the time to watch Elle's favorite movie, "Forrest Gump."
For right now, however, those things will have to wait, Jamie St. Pierre said.
And just like with everything in her life thus far, when Elle Purrier St. Pierre gets to Tokyo, she is going to be there to win.
"She has finished half the battle already. She qualified for the U.S. Olympic team. Now all she has to do is run."
Contact Jacob Rousseau at 401-484-2813 or JRousseau@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter: @ByJacobRousseau