His father is an ex-goalkeeper: TV star from Canada visiting Ambri

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During his youth he attended many derbies between Ambri-Piotta and HC Lugano. And yet Mathieu Baron is always impressed by the atmosphere in the stadium. “She is full of energy. It is always special for me to be there,” says Baron. “I especially like listening to ‘La Montanara’.” The Biancoblu won a wild game 5-4 on Friday. After the victory, the Canadian received many pats on his broad shoulders in the stands and in the dressing room and was told that he was a good luck charm.

Baron regularly comes to Switzerland to find peace in the Leventina and to balance the hectic life in the metropolis of Montréal. The 39-year-old has been here for the past two weeks because a Canadian television company, for which he presents several TV programs, is making a documentary about him.

That is why Baron delves into his past, which brings him to Ticino because he is the son of ex-Ambri goalkeeper Marco Baron. His first match for the Biancoblu in late November 1985 was a derby against cantonal rivals Lugano. The fact that he took Ambri to a 5-2 victory made him an instant fan favorite. But son Mathieu is only almost two years old.

When he was born in Moncton, Canada on December 8, 1983, his father was in goal for the AHL Moncton Alpines, the LA Kings’ farm team. The 64-year-old played 87 NHL games for Los Angeles, Boston and Edmonton. Then he decides to move to Switzerland – and for his son a life with two houses begins.

TV actor instead of mounted police officer

Mathieu Baron lived in Ticino until he was four years old. His father hangs up his goalkeeping equipment, opens a gym and works as a goalkeeper coach. “As a three-year-old, Mathieu was on the ice with me for the first time in Valascia,” he remembers. Marco Baron decided to stay in Ticino. His wife Sylvie, whom he divorced shortly afterwards, moved back to Canada with their son in 1987. From then on, Mathieu Baron spent his summer and Christmas holidays in Bellinzona. “When I was 13, I decided I wanted to live with my father and his new family,” says Mathieu Baron.

The teenager plays junior hockey. But he never follows in his father’s professional footsteps. “He once told me as a kid that he didn’t want a career when a coach yelled at him like that,” his father remembers. But Mathieu Baron, known for his directness, says with a grin: “Let’s face it, I was just too bad.” At the age of 19, he returned to his mother in Montreal, “and suddenly I longed for the vibrant life there again.”

His career ambition: to become a mounted police officer. Mathieu Baron became a TV actor. Like that? Due to his age, he had to wait another year to train as a police officer, so he worked as a security guard in a shopping center. The Big Brother show “Loft Story” came on TV in Canada. “My boss told me that with my big mouth I would fit in well.” The powerhouse signs up – and surprisingly but clearly wins the format in 2006.

The starting signal for a great TV career? On the contrary. The dubious reputation of a reality star has long stayed with him. But Mathieu Baron invests his prize money in acting lessons and is discovered. He is now a series star and has appeared in 16 TV productions. He became known as an actor in 2012 for his role as a prison guard in the successful television series ‘Unit 9’. He can currently be seen in “Indéfendable”. He is also a successful presenter for Bell Media, which operates several TV stations, and had the idea for the documentary about his star.

“My DNA is here too”

The background: Mathieu Baron always keeps his private life out of the spotlight. Experiences have shaped him. However, the fact that he has roots in Switzerland is discussed again and again. “Because I will be 40 in January and will become a father in February, we thought the time for a documentary was ideal.” For the first time, the celebrity appeared in public with a woman at home and made his relationship and engagement to real estate agent and model Alexandra De Simon official. And now the journey of discovery into his past.

Cameramen from his TV station guide Mathieu Baron every step of the way. They visit his first junior coach, the school, friends, the derby. And of course his family with his half-brothers and sisters Enea, Elisa and Olivier. “My DNA is also here, a lot started here,” says the TV star, “I also feel at home here. I like to joke that I have three lives. One in Switzerland, one in Canada and one on the plane.”

But Mathieu Baron admits that this back and forth also had its drawbacks. “Growing up like this wasn’t easy.” Only slowly does he calm down and realize that his youth has made him the person he has become. “Now I am proud and happy about it.” Two hearts beat in the Canadian’s chest, one of which always belongs to Switzerland and Ambri. «Ambri is more than hockey. And hockey is the element in my life that allowed me to discover Switzerland.” At that moment, Marco Baron lifts his son’s shirt and points to his back: there is a large tattoo of Valascia, “because she was unique,” says Mathieu Baron. Like his life.

Source : Blick