Élisa Morin on Accepting What Your Body Can and Can’t Do

Élisa Morin moved from France to Montreal in January 2020 and turned to trail running as a way to find community. Since then, she has become a five-time Canadian mountain and trail running champion, a top-10 finisher at the WMRC Classic event, and a professional trail runner with Brooks Running.

In 2024, she became the first woman to win back-to-back titles in both the vertical ascent and classic up-and-down races at the Canadian Mountain Running Championships. She repeated the achievement in 2025 and also won the short trail title at the Canadian Trail Running Championships.

But despite her rapid rise in the sport, the journey has not been straightforward. And hers is a story that many athletes who have been through REDs will recognise: one of navigating setbacks, learning hard lessons, and redefining what success really looks like.

I was diagnosed with REDs in 2022 and I’m still navigating the consequences. People don’t talk about the long-term effects enough, which is why I want to."

Élisa has experienced recurring bone injuries, including a stress fracture this year in the same period as one the year before. (And this is something we hear again and again. REDs isn’t just something that affects performance in the moment. It can have lasting impacts that show up months or even years later, often in ways athletes don’t expect.)

I now work with a REDs-informed nutritionist, Evelyne Telmosse, who says it’s because my bone density still isn’t as high as it should be as a consequence of so many years spent in a state of REDs.”

She explains. “It’s also a consequence of poor mechanical stress quantification, too much load and not enough recovery."

I've had a new coach since March, and we started working together when I was on crutches. I told him I wasn’t running at the moment, and that I had an MRI in a few days. I was really transparent with him so he was aware of everything from the beginning. I know that he also coached other athletes who have been in REDs, who are currently a little bit like me, their bodies are not resilient and they are injured a lot as a consequence.”

Always have a snack!

Through working with Evelyne, Élisa has developed practical ways to ensure she is adequately fueled for training. One of the most important lessons has been learning not to compare what she eats with the people around her.

One of the biggest shifts has been letting go of comparison.

Don't be afraid to eat and don't be afraid to eat in front of other people. When you are alone in your home, it's easy to eat a lot, but sometimes in the past, for me at least, I would go out for dinner and not have enough food."

"When I was in a restaurant with others, I felt I should order two main courses because I had a big training day the next day, but then I would second-guess myself. Eventually I learnt that I need to eat and to not be afraid of it. Sometimes I’ll eat something before going to a restaurant, like two or three pieces of toast, and then a main course when I’m out, and other times I order a starter too, or lots of bread. Just because your friends are eating salad, it does not mean you have to. Choose the rice or the pasta, or whatever you want, because you need it - so don’t be afraid of it. 

Also don't be afraid to say yes to a dessert when out for dinner, your body probably needs one, even if your friends don't want one. It's also really helpful to socialise with people who aren’t doing sports or at least not to the same level of performance, because often they don't care. When you are going out, always have a snack. I always have a snack with me. Evelyne taught me that.” 

Identity beyond the trails 

Élisa has been fortunate not to struggle with the mental side of REDs which she attributes to her part time work and that her identity as a person is not wholly linked to her ability to run. 

“Trail running is really important in my life but it's easy for me to dissociate with it because I still work. I am a pro athlete, but I still work part time as a civil engineer. I think that’s why I haven’t struggled with the mental side. I know lots of people do, but for me it hasn’t been an issue because it is easy to focus my mind on other things. This year, when I was injured, I just engaged more with work. I think it's really important to try to not define yourself only by the sport you do.”

Acceptance has been a huge part of her REDs recovery and mindset as she navigates its long-term consequences.  Building an identity that extends beyond performance is something we always encourage because when injuries happen (and they will), having other anchors can make all the difference.

Acceptance has become a central part of Élisa’s recovery. Not in a passive sense, but as an active, ongoing process of listening to her body and respecting its limits.

“I’ve learnt to accept that I can’t train as much as other people. I know that I will always have a good level of performance, but I'm not going to train more just to have a better level of performance. I have come to accept that. Again, this is helped by the fact I have other things going on in my life. I know that it's not that easy for others, so it's important to have good people around you to keep things in perspective.

Accept what your body can do. Accept what has happened, and that your body needs time to heal.”