Passionate about badminton since the age of 10 and suffering from a neuromotor disability, she manages to take on each new challenge with the motto “Have fun!” »
Faustine tells her story through a journey punctuated by surprises, pride, sometimes doubts and great rewards.
The encounter with “his” sport
Faustine discovered badminton with her family. This sport is above all attractive for her in that it requires numerous reflexes and automatisms and she immerses herself in it for the game: a racket, a shuttlecock, a concept that she really likes. Later, she moved to other sports: “With a disability, it’s not always easy to dare to do lots of sports, because you have difficulties when you start. »
Today, she has found all the confidence she needs to “stay in badminton”.
His Olympic passion began after ten years of playing badminton. She gave her all to para sport until she learned that they were entering the Paralympic Games and then she seized the opportunity head on: “Before I was a quiet little competitor at home, without much training and when it was announced that badminton was returning to the Paralympic Games, I really decided to go to the highest level”. As one seizes the ball or catches the shuttlecock in mid-flight, she begins the process that will allow her to place this project at the center of her life. It’s a radical life change but above all “an experience that has to be lived: I won’t be able to do that in 30 years, it was now or never! “.
Well aware that one day, badminton will stop for her at this level of competition, she chooses to take the lead and devote at the same time to what fascinates her and will allow her to bounce back: physiotherapy which she studies at the IFPEC of Rennes. His schedule is a real patchwork: two to four hours of badminton training per day in addition to taking classes. To achieve this, she splits her school years and relies on a very attentive teaching team.
The quest for an equationfreedom of life
“Even though I had the experience of Tokyo 2020”, says Faustine, “I always feel like it’s the first time. These Games will be with us, and that I have never experienced. Then, there will be the family, the entourage… and simply people! »
She is also preparing to keep a cool head in the face of the many demands and external pressure to come. His dream ? Qualify to live the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games live: “The part of dreams is greater than the part of doubts” she confides. “Doubts are work in perspective to then perform, because nothing is decided” she admits.
Between pressure and emotion, Faustine had to learn to place the cursor: upon returning from Tokyo 2020, she recalls having made a burn out and being afraid of losing his desire to return to training. He had to stop completely to regain all his motivation on the field.
Hence the importance of the quality of support on and off the field, particularly in terms of emotional management, particularly given the fact that Faustine’s disability intensifies with pressure, whether positive or negative. This help is therefore essential for him to understand his socio-professional environment.
The support of its sponsor, Natixis TradEx Solutions (subsidiary of Natixis Investment Managers) is also a valuable asset, both on a sporting and human level. “Above all, it brings me serenity: it is both moral support and material help. I don’t need to work on the side to hold on financially… I can place my energy elsewhere and put all the chances on my side. And on a human level, I made some interventions at Natixis, these are moments that I really like because we are really in the exchange”.
When asked about her biggest fault, Faustine admits to being stubborn sometimes! Its quality? She learned to change her mind thanks to her open-mindedness, her ability to listen and put herself in the place of her potential opponents. She keeps her ultimate dream in mind: “In 2024, I would like to be ready and efficient! » while following his mantra: “Enjoy”a phrase that allows him to release the pressure and not get lost in the quest for demands.
2023-10-16 10:22:17
#Video #portrait #Faustine #Noël #para #badminton #champion
