Alexandre Grand-Guillot: one of the hopes of windsurfing.

Alexandre Grand-Guillot, Champion de France Jeunes en 2018, est l’un des espoirs du windsurf. Dès l’âge de 9 ans, il fait de la planche à voile sa meilleure amie et joue aujourd’hui dans la cour des grands en défiant les meilleurs windsurfers mondiaux. Faites connaissance avec ce jeune sportif normand grâce à cette interview exclusive.

Alex, where did your love for windsurfing come from?

My father often windsurfed on weekends, so I wanted to do like him and try it. I did some introductory courses and at the age of 9 I enrolled at the Hague Nautical Centre in Urville. Like everyone else I started with slalom for fun and then I got caught up in the game and at the age of 13 my competitive spirit emerged and I started competing. After a few years, I started to have the level to start the wave. I was 14 when I discovered this discipline and at 17 I stopped slalom to concentrate only on the wave. That’s where true love was born and where I had my first young world championship in the Canary Islands.

What do you like about this sport?

It is a whole but the first and not the least factor in my sport is the fact of being in the sea. I love this feeling and have always loved it! Windsurfing is an adrenaline rush sport and I can never get enough of it. The figures, the waves, the environment, the atmosphere between athletes: it’s for all these reasons and many other things that I love this sport.

Has your life changed since you became a professional athlete?

I’ve been playing in the big league for 3 years now and it’s inevitably disrupting my daily life. It’s not so much the pace that has changed because I already had it a little bit when I was in the youth category. It is more the personal commitment and my priorities that have evolved. When you choose to become a professional athlete, you know you have to get to grips with it and that’s what I did. I am fully invested, I have never been more motivated and I want to continue to have as many experiences as possible.

What does your daily life look like or a typical day like?

I am often asked this question and the first criterion that sets the pace of my days is the weather! My schedule will depend a lot on the weather: when there is no wind I am with my physical trainer and when there is wind I move according to the tide to be in the water as long as possible.

How do you reconcile studies with your passion?

I study by correspondence which makes my life easier in terms of organization but it is more difficult to motivate myself to study than to motivate myself to go to the water. This year I decided to start all over again and redirect myself towards communication. I am currently preparing a BTS Communication with the CNED. I chose this sector because it is something I know and that I get to know more and more in relation to my status.

How do you see the future?

I see a lot of Windsurfing! (laughs) More seriously, I especially want to enjoy all this while it lasts. I want to continue to invest myself to improve and perform even better!

Do you have a quick note to finalize this interview?

I would like to thank all the people who support and encourage me and my sponsors who believe in me! I look forward to seeing what tomorrow will bring 😊