During the Paris Grand Slam 2024, she is working for Eurosport and goes behind the scenes of the event to show its global dimension. We asked her to tell us about her new job and especially the influence that judo has on her daily life.
"Since September I have been presenting the news. I am live on air every day. I no longer cover sport specifically, except when it is in the news of course. I deal with economics, politics, ecology, wars and crises, all the subjects that are in the news both nationally and internationally. It's fascinating, exciting. It's a permanent challenge but I like challenges.
I like to share good energy and discover new things. It all started a few years ago, when I found myself covering the French presidential elections, then the legislative elections. I was on the field, in the deep end. It's sometimes a bit of a 'war' when all the media want to have the information that no-one else has. I was lucky to have a positive image among the public and often, the most radical activists came to me because they imagined that I had a human and respectful approach. Although I was not a specialist in politics, I obtained good results thanks to this privileged contact. They knew that I was respectful of everyone. It's one of the first things judo taught me.
Confidence was established with the people on the ground, it was natural. For me, it was an opening to a new world but sometimes I had the feeling that I was as welcome as a dog in a game of skittles. I was the sports girl who wandered into a world that wasn't hers. It opened up new avenues for me though. As I love live action and the adrenaline that comes with it, I offered my services to the management of Europe 1 and started doing some replacements on air. The Radio station was in a recovery phase, it was the right time to come in.
Of course, we sweat a little when we're live; it can be hot. But once again, I learned to deal with this through judo. I know stress and I know how to manage it.
It's funny, because I'm now a journalist who has to know everything about everything but it's judo that guides me. In the office it has become a joke because I bring everything back to judo. You should know that every morning everything is very orchestrated. I arrive at the editorial office at 8 a.m. and we begin a process that leads us to be on the air at midday, prime time. We have no net, we have to be ready and we have no room for error. Everything I learned when I competed in judo is useful to me every day. I learned to summarise things, to get to the essentials.
When I have to interview guests, I prepare meticulously. It's like putting your hands on the judogi, to feel things and then the fight begins. You must not let go of anything. You have to achieve your goals, but you also have to know how to change direction, refocus and not let yourself get thrown off balance. I also need to make the speech pleasant and fluid. I have to popularise and simplify so that things become understandable even when the subjects are complicated. And yes, there is always this unexpected thing that we cannot quantify. Sometimes our show is well planned, we are ready and a few minutes before the live broadcast, there is a terrorist attack or announcements from the new Prime Minister. Once again, we must be prepared for any eventuality. This is the heart of our business.
Always during interviews, even if I have a guideline, I also have to listen, to bounce back. It's exciting because it's dangerous. I need this permanent danger I think. I love this magic. I experienced it during my sporting career and later in my various missions but this is new and I needed it. I still have room for improvement and that's what motivates me. As in judo, there is always something to learn. I have energy again, again and again.
On air I am alone but behind me there are editorial teams and journalists. It’s very important. Like in judo again, you only become a champion when you have a team with you. Our goal is to make the best broadcast possible and in this process, for me, judo is always present. I do my journalistic uchi-komi and nage-komi. The adaptability that I must demonstrate is the direct application of sen-no-sen, the attack within the attack. When I think about it I'm happy to have chosen this sport, it gave me all the weapons I need today.
During the last audience studies, we came across well and I am happy about it. Being the best version of myself and my teams is all I want.”