October 9, 2020

10/10: Hugo Richard, building a career…and furniture

With the current circumstances preventing him from throwing balls on football fields, Hugo Richard found another way to keep his hands busy. Forced to spend more time at home, he started building wooden furniture with the help of his girlfriend. He’s developed some solid woodworking skills and loves his new passion.

“Honestly, I love working with wood. I built a bed frame, a media unit, a desk and some small shelves. It’s great, I get to build exactly what I want, I save money and I now have furniture pieces that are far more durable,” says Richard, happy with the results of his creations.

When he moved into his new home in Quebec City, he and his partner decided to take up woodworking as a hobby and started creating little masterpieces.

“When my friends come to our house, they can’t believe we made these pieces of furniture out of simple pine boards. I guess they’re impressed by our talent” jokingly says Richard.

The former Laval Rouge et Or star quarterback doesn’t sit idle during the day; He works for Jyga Technologies, a company that specializes in pig farming. He works as a mechanical designer, designing and modifying equipment to maximize productivity.

“I work in the engineering department, which is an excellent way for me to gain experience for my future career. The people I work with are all very nice and my job challenges me,” says the 26-year-old.

The Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville native has fully recovered from a knee surgery he underwent last January. He had a hole in his cartilage and had to go under the scalpel. “I have a gym at home and I train frequently. As for cardio, I play tennis on a regular basis. I make sure to stay pretty active.

Despite these difficult and uncertain times, Hugo Richard is optimistic about the future. “We’re all in the same boat, but I control what I can, and training keeps me on the right track. You have to keep smiling and not allow yourself to get discouraged. I’m confident that we’ll be back on the field soon enough,” he adds.