Written by Trackandmemes, September 23, 2022
My name is Célia Perron, I am 25 years old and I practice the combined events: heptathlon and pentathlon in indoor. I am a member of the club of Albi since my debut in 2010, and I train in Toulouse in France where I studied engineering. I did these studies through apprenticeship, so with time in companies full time in parallel with my practice of high level sport. It was very hard at times. I was several times French Champion in my discipline and selected six times for the French Team.
What is your project exactly?
My project is to accomplish myself fully in my sport, to support my discipline and to reach the best level in 2024 to take part in world events.
What have you focused on this year, both athletically and academically?
This year, I focused on my final year project by choosing not to adjust my last year of university in order to finally graduate and be able to fully enjoy my sports project. And on the sport side, I worked a lot to keep my level and not to get injured... no doubt that it will pay off soon on the track too!
What sacrifices have you had to make this year to achieve these goals?
Unfortunately, I paid this year for my choice of studies... I was able to train less, to recover less, or almost not at all, and I had to respect an even more demanding lifestyle which also concerns my social life.
How important would you describe the evolution of the sacrifices you had to make from year to year from the moment you decided to become a high level athlete?
They have grown year after year, because I did not choose to stop everything for my sport, I preferred to deal with it and do my best. We must always take care to remain consistent with our goals and not go too far in the sacrifice to avoid mental or body breakdown.
How do you deal with physical and mental fatigue?
Difficult to measure, but important to respect! I think having a recovery routine is the best way to go, find time to yourself, sleep well, eat properly and accordingly. I've had mental trainers since high school. This has always helped me to accelerate my understanding of feelings and situations. The medical aspect must be an integral part of the preparation: physical therapy, blood tests, etc.
What advice would you give to an athlete who has a national level and is trying to give himself the means to have both a career related to his studies, but also a sports career?
Between the national and international level, there is often only one step. You have to be well organized and believe in your projects until the end. Doubts are normal, but at the end of the day, we must be proud of our choices. The best way to do this is to do it with passion. And above all, the most important thing is to build around you a healthy and efficient environment, both from a medical point of view and in your personal life.
If you had to remember your worst memory of this "sport and study" connection?
I am not an athlete who has had many huge injuries in her career. That's why I spontaneously think of November 2019 when I fell during a fartlek a little too early, with a little too much fatigue and not much in my stomach... I ripped a piece of bone from my malleolus and the result; two months on crutches... I had just passed my first year of alternation; too much intensity between school, the company and the trainings certainly... I was exhausted, hard with myself, my body told me to stop because I did not listen to it.
If you had to remember your best memory of this "sport and study" connection?
My gold medal in the winter of 2021 in Miramas for the French Elite Championships. This 800 meters which changed everything, and which qualified me for the first European Senior Championships in Torùn with the French Team.
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