The first Canadian athlete to ever win an Olympic gold medal on home soil knows a little something about being the best. That’s why Alexandre Bilodeau—who accomplished this milestone at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver—is joining forces with CertainTeed Insulation Canada to promote the benefits of the company’s products in his home province of Quebec.

As CertainTeed’s partner for 2016, Bilodeau will be featured in print and digital advertising. He will also appear at local trade shows and in-store meet-and-greets at RONA stores – the largest home improvement retailer and distributor in Canada. Bilodeau’s first appearance on behalf of CertainTeed will be on Tuesday, March 15 at the RONA Contractor Show in Brossard, Quebec.

“I’m excited to be joining CertainTeed Insulation as an ambassador,” said Bilodeau. “I'm hoping to raise awareness among Canadian homeowners of the importance of having the best insulation possible in a climate like ours in order to maximize the energy efficiency of our homes. We should all be more conscientious about reducing our energy consumption, and insulation can help us do so while remaining completely comfortable year round.”

Alexandre Bilodeau skied his way into the pantheon of Canadian sports heroes in Vancouver when he brought home the gold medal in the freestyle mogul event. He duplicated the feat in 2014 at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. After that, he hung up his skis (at least as a professional) and has since earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Concordia University. He has also continued his many charitable activities, including his personal passion, cerebral palsy research, which is inspired by his brother Frédéric, who suffers from the disease.

“We are honored to have Alex as our brand ambassador in Quebec,” said Marlon Thompson, marketing product manager for CertainTeed Insulation Canada. “He is a true inspiration who can help us create greater awareness of our high-performance insulation for Canadians – how it helps manage moisture, block outside noise, prevent air infiltration as well as delivering superior thermal efficiency.”

In addition to Bilodeau’s media presence and personal appearances, he is participating in a contest that will give one lucky fan the opportunity to ski and dine with the Olympian at his home resort, Mont Saint-Sauveur, about 75 kilometers northwest of Montreal. Entering the contest is as easy as stopping by a RONA store to fill out an application.

CertainTeed has partnered with RONA (recently purchased by Lowe’s, the U.S.-based home improvement retailer) to bring its popular Sustainable Insulation and InsulSafe XC premium blowing wool to Canada. Sustainable Insulation is made with fiberglass that consists of rapidly renewable content, a high percentage of recycled glass, and a plant-based binder that has no formaldehyde, harsh acrylics, dyes or unnecessary fire retardants added. InsulSafe XC is a fiberglass blowing insulation designed for installation in open (attic) and closed (sidewall/floor) cavities. It is thermally efficient, provides excellent coverage and sound control, and reduces home energy demand and costs.