Jacques might be a French-Canadian but Villars-sur-Ollon, a small mountain town in Switzerland, is one of the most important places in his life...

Villars is situated high up in the Alps (about 1,300m) in the canton of Vaud in south-west Switzerland. It was here that Jacques came to an international school with his sister after the death of his father, F1 racing hero Gilles Villeneuve. Here he met Craig Pollock, his manager, who was a teacher there at the time.

Villars really comes alive in the winter season, mid-December to mid-April, when it is a popular ski resort - home of a team of 165 ski teachers, and host to many events including the Villars 24 Hour Race, patronized by Jacques, Damon Hill and Craig Pollock.

It is this reasonably anonymous resort to which Jacques has chosen to return to spend the winter seasons. Here he can spend time with friends and family, as well as Craig who also lives in Villars, continue his training with the help of Erwin and a specially designed training machine, or ski, run, cycle - even play ice-hockey.

Says Jacques: "Villars has some great memories for me from my youth and more recently. It is a place where I can come to get away from the busy life and just be myself and chill out. It is a great little ski resort where I can train in the winter, and I have lots of old friends there who are always happy to see me. It's always a great feeling to come back to the mountains."

To find out more about Villars, click here