Marine Lefeuvre: “I love my sport more than winning. Roller skating is my passion. »

« Last September, I won my first title of world champion in roller on occasion des World Skate Games who stood in Italy. This race, it was the fourth I had competed in since the beginning of this meeting. This time, I played the role of teammate. That means that I had to All implement pour help my compatriot, Marie Dupuyto go to the enda bit like a hare. That day, the weather was a bit special: it was raining and dIn this kind of conditions, everything is different, we are forced to change wheels, THE supports are not the same, speed neither. Despite everything, we have do a perfect raceat least until six laps remaining.

At that moment, Marie needed to be more protected et I am brought before her. Juntil two finishing laps, et despite falls who have a little chambouland the end of the racewe are first and second. But, everything is starting to get carried away, Iand choose to accelerate et Marie loses my wheel…

Mhey, I don't know and II notice it when I look a huge panel on which the live broadcast is broadcast. Then arises a huge dilemma : I am in the lead, Marie is last and on getting ready to addressesr the line for the last lap. HAS the bell, I can't tell if she's thereu if she got eliminated and then, I start to get overtaken and then I wonder if I take the time to look behind to know where she is, do we go for the podium or do we go for the win?…

Je do the choice to continue ahead, to do my sprint and IHe crosses the line in the lead. My first reaction is that II'm shockedin the right as in the wrong way. Since it wasn't me who was supposed to perform in this race, and even though I had nothing to reproach myself for, I wondered how Marie would react and then, I heard her screaming with joy for me. That's when I understood that he something incredible had just happened, magic, that victory was there and that I was world champion.

Je participates in of the Cworld championships since 2015, when I was a junior. I continued as a senior from 2018 and, I oscillated between the 5e and the 8e place, which was already not bad car our sport is an endurance sport, et maturity comes with years.

It should also be remembered that I have a long time summer sprinter before retraining as a cross-country skier, so I had to work enormously pour reach a level equivalent. Everything changed in 2021, when there was the Covid pandemic. I had nothing to do with my days except train myself and when we were able to go out again, I felt strong. From that yearI am Finally felt high-level athletecapable of perform at highest level et I found myself on podiums at the World Championships.

Until this title in 2024cshe it's been twenty-three years since Française had not winningand gold to Cworld championships before me and I am the third. For the moment, I don't give in too much take into account the impact that this can have because I am still in my performance, in my story, but he is true that, for the Federation, for the world of roller skating, for women in roller skating in general, it's something exceptionalsomething that has been expected since very long time.

This medal golden, it is Also the culmination of many years of practice. I started at the age of 3 and, in my family, everyone practiced: mon papi has been international judge, my grandmother took care of Roller Sport Rezé, their three filsincluding my father, ysont went and it is also by this means that my parents met. In my opinion, çaa from the outset was a passion and I I blossomed so much, young, in my club that I never wanted to move on other chose.

I think that the fact of having won races quite early – I won my first French champion title when I was in the second year among chicks and I must have between twenty and twenty-five today – also played.

When I had 15-16 years old, I left my club to join that of Saint Herblain. I made this choice because, until then, it was my mom who m’trained and noyour mother-daughter relationship had become above all an athlete-coach relationship with a lot of conflicts. Two years after arriving at Saint Herblain, in September 2016, I joined the France division from Nantes. Since then, I have added to my list of achievements with a first European champion title. in 2021seven or eight followed afterwardsand therefore, this title of world champion.

Despite these rewardsI had to divide my time between training-competitions and work for a long time to be able to live. I first worked as ahome helpit was the only job that allowed me to adapt my hours to my sporting practice with as few constraints as possible, then I trained as a reservist in the police. Cwas in 2022 after the implementation of a device whose aim was to recruit high-level athletesA little like the Army of Champions for Defense. I sent a cover letter and my CV at the beginning of November, I was selected for interviews on Paris and, mid-DecemberI learned that I had been selected.

JI did five weeks of training, but it's not enough to go to the field. I am seconded by the police to whom I must return twenty-five days a year and, ultimately, I could be integrated into the ranks provided that is go through the box école. It's a choice that I will have to make with my partner but, for the moment, I am focusing on my sporting career.

In my discipline, generally, women can continue to perform for a very long time but, often, they stop when they want to become a mother. Me, I give myself again two ans au lesslet's say until I'm 30, to continue on this path. Afterwards, yes, the question will arise.

JI'm afraid that I miss this life as a high-level athlete but, even if when I take part in a competition it is with the idea of ​​winning it, I know that I love more my sport than winning : sand is gagne, so much the better but and is it is don't win, That nit won't change my life. Tall this is still a little far awaytain. For now, jI concentrate on the Havana Roller Marathon, Cuba, which will take place in December. CThis will be my last race of the year and my ambition is… of the earn. »