"I enjoy sharing my passion with the young kids at my home spot. I grew up the same way at the same place, going windsurfing after school and during the weekends. Sharing my knowledge and motivating them, is something unique."
To be in a right mindset and have good motivation, I'm trying to break with the windsurfing world and routine from time to time.
At home [French Mediterranean coast] I am training a lot. Beside that, I work at my centre La Cahute (windsurfing, paddle & kayak) which takes a lot of my time and keeps my mind busy with something else than windsurfing competition. Sometimes I cannot spend as much time as I want sailing and travelling. However, I appreciate even more to go back on full windsurfing mode for competitions or travels. Working at my centre, I can share my passion with others, especially the young kids. I grew up the same way at the same place, going windsurfing after school and during the weekends. Sharing my knowledge and motivating them to enjoy the sea is something unique and makes me very proud. I see many different people coming from different lifes and lifestyles there.. They all have great energy, are doing interesting things in life and this inspires me!
Besides that, I like being with my family, fishing, surfing and doing cross training on the beach with my coach Sylvain. Of course parties, hanging out with friends and barbecues are a great part of my lifestyle. And eating and laughing gives me power as well hahahaha... :-)
SOURCES OF POWER
The French gastronomy makes me feel at home, in France we have so much good food!!! It’s really hard to name my favourite dish - because French gastronomy is incredibly variable and diverse. From every single area of the country, you get insanely delicious food e.g. meat, seafood, cheese, wine …
I am really passionate by sport in general. I am following various sports, winter sports, water sports, ball sports … Every day good athletes around the world give their best to be the best - I find inspiration in their passion. There is not so much space besides water sport as it’s taking 95% of my time. Knowing that I have support at home while I am competing and travelling gives me a lot of mental strength. Now my inspiration source became my family with my small son.
Little Léon is already in love with the water. Maybe papa gonna carry him soon on the water, when mama won’t be watching.
WORK - LIFE - BALANCE, here: SURF - LIFE - BALANCE
For sure it’s not always easy, I am not home around 200 days/year. It’s not easy also because my wife is also working. We are learning a lot and main word is organisation, more you plan more you have the opportunity to enjoy and share time! Sometimes, the entire family is coming with me, especially when it’s not too far but for now we also prefer to make trips just four our-self.
BEING A SUPER DAD
At least I think becoming a dad didn’t change me too much. There is a bit more stress and bit less sleep ;) but for sure sometimes It makes me find the smile back when life is not going on the right way on the other side of the world. I am really happy to build something strong with my wife and here it’s a part of the result. It makes me proud of me and also of her as she’s perfectly dealing with my special life. My family helps me to stay strong and focus, to switch off after a good day of competition and to work harder especially when I am somewhere without them.
BEFORE: WINDSURFING PRO WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITIES
NOW: DAD [sorry for the cliché]
I have tried to be well organised already before he was born. For sure, now I have to be even more precise with my calendar and organisation and it’s harder to go travel somewhere spontaneously. But since the beginning we tried to keep the same life we had before. He is already a little traveller and already spent some afternoons at the beach and crossed few countries in my van.
But I am still over-motivated about my goal! On the one hand I know that I already managed to create a family, this is done. ;-) Maybe windsurfing is not the most important thing in the world, but on the other hand I also know I have to be focused on my career to be able to offer him the best. Work hard Play harder ;)
COMPETITION MODE ON
I am focused on what I have to do in the right moment: preparing the gear, racing, jibing, starting, waiting and recovering. I also switch off the competition as soon as possible after a competition day. There is no special mental tool. I try to respect a routine.
YOUR LIFE?
My life is doing water sports like surfing waves or SUP excursions and spending time with my friends. Probably going to the beach even though it is not for windsurfing is what I love most. Apart from that I also enjoy listening to music, watching football, movies and series or just to lay in the sun enjoying the calm and getting tanned! It’s also fun to be on the catamaran or go wakeboarding with the zodiac!
Those little excursions mean a lot to me, because the rest of my life is Windsurfing. It is necessary to disconnect sometimes from the main sport, get into other things and be surrounded by a different environment.
TOP - 5 - BEACH - SONGS?
A LIFE WITHOUT OCEAN?
No no no no way, I get a bit nervous not seeing the ocean for a couple of days. It's always such a pleasant feeling when you see the ocean after not being in or near it for some days! I will always be near to the ocean and the beach.
My injury last year changed the way I value every session. It made me be more serious in some ways and my motivation is even higher than before! I appreciate every moment out there on the water more now, and specially sailing on a high level as I was not able to give my best for the last year.
WATER SPORTS - SOURCE OF POWER
Practicing other sports, helps to strengthen your body and those muscles, you don't use while sailing. So, you are more in shape if you train other movements as well! And you get more board control while doing other board sports. I also like being with friends and family, but windsurfing is what I need most to evade.
A good windsurf session is what makes me calm down a lot. I think clearer and more relaxed about everything after coming from the water and this feeling is unbeatable.
SOURCES OF POWER
Besides windsurfing, I love sports in general and specially water sports such as Sup, Surf or Kite. I get to know the wave spots better, even when there is no wind. Out of the water I love playing tennis. I used to play when I was younger that’s why I still follow the tennis tour.
Those other sports give me adrenaline. I am not good as on windsurfing gear but that’s why it gives me a different kind of thrill. You never stop learning. I also love watching those sports on TV or at events to learn a bit more about how they train and perform on such a high level.
I love water sports so much because every day is different, even on the same spot. Being alone in the water makes you appreciate things better and forget about issues.
MORNING YOGA or MORNING SESSION
It all depends on how good the conditions look like. If I have sore muscles because I have sailed a lot previously, I would rest or do yoga. Especially in the morning, because I am not so much of an early morning person.
MOTIVATION
I like competing to prove myself in hard conditions because during the heats we have a limited time to do our best. I like seeing that I can still compete with the best windsurfers in the world. I really appreciate that I can do it and I feel lucky.
TOP-5-before-competition-songs?
15 YEARS PWA EXPERIENCE vs NERVOSITY
There will always be nervous moments during events. For me every heat is important. Over the years, experience counts, but every season it is hard to climb to the top ranking. I really enjoy and appreciate proving myself every year once more.
