For Lucie Jean-Charles, the state of mind made the difference

DIARY OF AN ATHLETE

Written by Trackandmemes, May 5, 2023

When I run I feel good, I actually fly. It's satisfying. It's like I've found the best way to express what I do best. It's hard to explain exactly how I feel when I'm sprinting, but when I'm in great shape, make few mistakes and have a good feeling, I feel amazing.

Lucie Jean-Charles, photographed by Julie Fuster

I am 25 years old and I live in Marseille. I train with Jean-Louis Rigaut. In terms of my relationship with my coach, we have a relationship of trust and mutual respect. He believes in me and knows how to push me to excel. He supports me in difficult moments.

In terms of performance, I am determined to give my best and to progress, keeping in mind my ambitions and working hard to achieve them.

Anyway, my name is Lucie Jean-Charles, I'm a sprinter, and this season, without wanting to get too far ahead of myself, I'm aiming to beat my personal bests and achieve much better results at the French Open and France Elite Championships than I did last year.

How did athletics, the mother of us all, give birth to you?

I just wanted to run fast.

I did athletics for the first time when I was 12 years old. It was my PE teacher who insisted on it because I was a fast runner. It was cool, but I didn't like it. In the junior category, I touched a little bit of everything but there were disciplines that I didn't necessarily like, like cross-country running. 😂

I stopped after one year of practice. I did some dancing and finally took up athletics when I was 15. The trigger was the Olympic Games of 2012. Seeing these athletes surpass themselves, give their all and win, made me want to do the same. I also wanted to live these beautiful moments.

Lucie Jean-Charles

I was in Cadet 2 when I took over. It was perfect because I was old enough to choose my discipline. So I chose sprint.

It didn't take long before I was performing well. My times were going down at every competition. I qualified for the French Championships with the relay team, then, a few years later, I made my first French selections in individual.

I really liked what I was doing but I had no idea how much work went into running faster... I wasn't determined enough, and I wasn't serious enough. I was doing track and field as a hobby. At that time, I was training twice a week and when I was lazy, or when it rained (lol), I didn't come to the trainings.

I ended up taking a year off for school, and that's when I realized how much I missed the sport.

When I came back, I saw things differently, differently. I had a different mindset, I was more serious. I started to set real goals, and I had this desire to make my dreams come true and to make my loved ones proud.

Has this new mindset been beneficial in terms of performance?

Yes, it allowed me to surpass myself. I lowered my times, won a national medal in the Indoor U23 event by finishing third, and did international meetings...

Currently, my personal records are 11''73 in 100m, 24''46 in 200m and 7''47 in 60m.

If you could change one thing about athletics, what would it be?

If I could make a change, I wish I could make the competitions and athletes more visible. Not only during the big events like the Olympics or the world championships.

Athletes are often in the spotlight, but only during those big moments. It is then difficult for people to follow and support them all the time.

It would be nice to highlight local and national competitions. We could attract more people to track and field, and encourage more people to get involved. It could help to find new talentsIt would support the development of athletics at all levels. It would also allow for greater recognition of the hard work, the dedication and sacrifices that athletes make to achieve their level of performance.

One thing that keeps you motivated?

One of my biggest motivations: Jesus ! It has given meaning to my life. If I can do everything I do, it is thanks to him. These dreams that he has placed in my heart, I want to accomplish them for his glory. And someone said:

 » God has placed a dream in us and a single cry of alarm must resound in our minds: persevere ! »

It reminds me that I have to fight to make anything possible, and I'm grateful to have a God and loved ones who support me all the way.

As for my other passions, I really enjoy learning about textured hair. I am interested in how they work and the best ways to maintain them. It makes me happy to be able to share what I learn about them with others.

As a black womanit hasn't always been easy to accept our often-discredited textured hair. But hey. Today, we must admit that there is a beautiful evolution, with more and more black women who assume their hair and take care of it, and that is so nice to see!

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