Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson rarely had any free time while in college.

While juggling courses to obtain her bachelor and then master of science degrees in kinesiology and exercise science at the University of North Dakota, Lamoureux-Davidson was a star college hockey player, a member of the U.S. National Team and an Olympian.

Since graduating in December 2013, Lamoureux-Davidson’s life is even more chaotic, if that’s at all possible.

In February 2014, Lamoureux-Davidson helped Team USA win silver at the Olympic Winter Games. The following month, she underwent surgery on a nagging shoulder injury and was sidelined for over nine months.

“The break after the Olympics, since I had surgery, was kind of nice,” Lamoureux-Davidson said. “It gave me some time to really figure out how I’m going to do post-grad life.”

In May of that same year, Lamoureux-Davidson joined the real world with her first job as a performance-enhancement specialist and strength and conditioning coach in her hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The next month, she married former UND hockey player Brent Davidson.

Even through all the twists and turns in her life, Lamoureux-Davidson is still a member of the national team, along with her twin sister, Monique Lamoureux.

Lamoureux-Davidson has adjusted to the “lifestyle change” from being a college student and hockey player to a professional worker and hockey player. The 26-year-old has become a master multi-tasker.

“You just make it work,” Lamoureux-Davidson said. “I’m very fortunate to be working for an employer that allows us the flexibility. Monique and I are going to miss work for two weeks, and we make that work. You just work the schedule around it. ...

“They’re busy days, and I just have to manage being married now and having busy days, going from work to the rink and back to work. Also trying to get home to cook dinner and be helpful, too. So it’s definitely a balancing act that’s for sure.”

Lamoureux-Davidson, a two-time Olympian and inductee into the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame this year, has enjoyed the transition in her life. She works at Altru Health Systems for its Sports Advantage Powered by EXOS as a performance-enhancement specialist. The position allows her to work with athletes and adults on how to live a happier lifestyle and reach their performance goals in life.

Lamoureux-Davidson is also a strength and conditioning coach for the UND women’s hockey team, where she played for three seasons.

“As far as the working world goes, it’s been an awesome experience,” Lamoureux-Davidson said. “It’s what I’ve wanted to do. It’s what I went to school for.”

Even with a daunting daily grind, hockey is very much Lamoureux-Davidson’s life. She is able to train and skate every day at North Dakota’s home rink, Ralph Engelstad Arena.

“I don’t know if it’s really changed my hockey career as much as it’s changed the balance of life away from the rink,” said Lamoureux-Davidson about after her new lifestyle. “We recently bought a house and just found out we’ve got to get a furnace, so we’ve got to figure out and balance the budget for that. It’s really just away from the rink that perspective changes a lot.”

Lamoureux-Davidson is playing professionally for the Minnesota Whitecaps, who are based in the Twin Cities. She’s played in three games thus far this season and plans on skating in at least four more games in December.

Lamoureux-Davidson, a 5-foot-6 forward, is also playing on the U.S. National Team and takes off work and uses up her vacation time to ensure she doesn’t miss an event.

After going through rehabilitation following her surgery for chronic shoulder instability, Lamoureux-Davidson has come back even stronger on the ice. At the IIHF Women’s World Championship this past April, Lamoureux-Davidson registered five goals and three assists to be the third-leading scorer for the gold medal-winning U.S. squad.

Lamoureux-Davidson feels like she’s in the best shape of her life and playing the best hockey.

Her next goal is to help Team USA take home gold at the Four Nations Cup in Sweden Nov. 4-8. This is Lamoureux-Davidson’s eighth time competing in the event — she missed last year due to rehab — against Canada, Finland and Sweden.

The U.S. has not captured gold at the Four Nations Cup since 2012. Lamoureux-Davidson, one of 13 players on the Four Nations team that competed in the world championships this year, believes the U.S. team is ready for the big-time international competition.

“I think everyone now has had a taste of it, whether it’s at U18s, 22s or on the national scene,” Lamoureux-Davidson said. “We’ve done a very good job of building a culture of expectations and accountability. We have a good core group, an older group for this tournament, and we all kind of know what we need to do.”

Lamoureux-Davidson knows that competing in the Four Nations Cup is another step in the right direction for a roster spot in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Striving for a third appearance in the Games will mean a lot of sacrifices on her end. Lamoureux-Davidson would like to start a family, but she’s prepared to put that hold for a couple more years.

“As of right now, my focus is on 2018. I love my job, but my focus is on 2018,” Lamoureux-Davidson said. “If you told me I had to pick one, I think you only get so many opportunities in your life to train for something like this. Family comes first, but if you’re going to weigh hockey and my working job right now, playing hockey is my focus.

“I’m fortunate to be in a position to start my career as well outside of hockey, and so I can’t really complain. I feel I have the best of both worlds.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.