. growing up in île dupas, quebec, joannie seriously began taking skating lessons when she was only six years of age. joannie's interests other than skating growing up were yoga, trampoline, ballet, reading, dancing and music. one of rochette's tragic moments was on february 21, 2010, two days before the ladies' figure skating contest at the winter olympics in vancouver, her mother, thérèse rochette, died of a heart attack at vancouver general hospital after coming to see her in the contest. however, even after this sudden death, rochette stayed in the contest and skated in her mother's honour. at her mother's funeral, she placed her olympic bronze medal on the casket for some time.