Angèle is a high-level athlete. She distinguished herself in particular in kayak polo where she came first, at the European Championships, with the Avranches team. She also participated in the French championships. Today, she talks about her daily life as a student in the 2nd year of a biology-health master’s degree specializing in biotherapy and high-level sports.
Angèle’s journey
Can you tell us more about your academic background?
I took a special sports section class at college which allowed me to go kayaking every week with flexible schedules. Then, I did a bac S in a traditional course. Then I completed a bachelor’s degree in life sciences and a master’s degree in Biology-Health at theEvry Val-d’Essonne University.
Where does your love and passion for kayak polo come from?
I started kayaking in middle school. My brother, who is a year and a half older than me, was already doing it and I wanted to do the same so I followed him. I ended up in this special class even though I didn’t particularly like it, because I was afraid of what might be in the water. So I joined the Corbeil-Essonnes team. As with most sports, we are trained in the basics and disciplines of kayaking and I was pushed towards the discipline of kayak polo because it is the specialty of the club.
The daily life of a kayak polo champion
How did you end up competing in the French and European championships?
The Corbeil-Essonnes team, where I started, is entirely made up of boys and so, for a very long time, I was the only girl. It quickly blocked me in my development because I wanted performance and competition. It was hard being the only girl because we all started together, but there were times when they were better than me. It pushed me to surpass myself. So I decided to play with the Île-de-France team which brings together all the girls from the region and allows me to go a little further.
For two years, I joined a mid-table or even bottom-of-the-table team (St-Omer). This is what allowed me to be spotted and have access to the French team. Together we were able to win the European and French championships. By reporting these victories, we helped to democratize this sport a little, especially among little girls.
Today I am part of the Avranche team. I like it because it is only made up of players who are or have been part of the France team. There is a real search for performance while helping each other, since there are not many of us, we are a team of friends and that makes the competition more enjoyable.
How do you prepare for your competitions? Are you stressed?
I never really got used to it. There is always a lot of pressure that I put on myself. At the beginning, when I started competing with the French team, I was scared at the idea of entering the field. Over time, I learned to manage this self-pressure. She has become positive and pushes me to give the best of myself.
Today, how many hours does kayak polo take you per week?
Overall, kayak polo takes me quite a bit of time. On average I spend around 10 hours in the water per week and there are 15 hours of weight training, running or cycling added to that.
Why did you decide to continue your studies and not make a living from kayak polo?
You can’t make a living from kayak polo, so I don’t really have the choice to continue my studies. I have always invested myself in my studies and kayaking at the same time. The only time I took a break was last year, during my first year of my master’s degree, because I needed to concentrate on my studies. I’ve already thought about stopping kayaking, especially in winter, because with the cold and the night it’s difficult. But between the coaches and the teammates we are all like a big family so we support each other.
How do you juggle your studies and practicing high-level sport?
I had the chance to be a high-level athlete very early, at 17, so I quickly learned to organize myself. It’s demanding to combine class days with training, revisions and personal life. So I make sacrifices, I go out very little and I have little outside life. If I’m not at university, I’m in the water or in Normandy with my team every other weekend. Seeing my little sister is a bit complicated so I’m converting her to kayaking so I can take her with me from time to time so we can spend a little time together.
Why did you choose life sciences?
Since I was little, I have always wanted to work in the scientific police, but now I am moving more towards laboratory research.
Do you plan to give up kayak polo to devote yourself to your future profession?
From the beginning, I have been putting things in place to try not to stop kayak polo and to stay motivated. I took a break during my M1 to devote myself to my studies and I will have to slow down this year during my M2 internship but I am not giving up.
