“A slightly oversized kimono, a white sash, a giant blue mat and a 5-year-old girl with stars in her eyes… that’s pretty much what my first judo class was like. Today, at 21, I’m sure I could never have imagined that fifteen years later, as a student, my first steps on the tatami would lead me to a career as a top athlete.
When I was 5 years old, my parents wanted to introduce their daughter to various hobbies. After a first discovery course ending with a spectacular demonstration by my teacher, judo quickly became my hobby and my mother decided to enroll me in a small local club in Normandy.
Walk around the family farm
In addition to sport, I discovered another passion: wandering around in my parents’ mixed crop-livestock farming (cereals: wheat, barley, rapeseed, etc.), which they have owned for more than thirty years. Very quickly I was tempted to get my hands dirty and, without really knowing it, I discovered the profession of farmer.
I get into sport and I start with great vigor in judo tournaments. My belt quickly turns yellow, orange, green, blue… The adrenaline, surpassing oneself and the demands of this martial art fascinate me and make me want to train and compete every year.
My coach sees potential in my profile and considers me one of France’s hopefuls in judo. For my part, I remain more cautious and prefer not to get carried away because I know that it is a difficult sport, both physically and to make a living from it. After hours of discussions with my coach and my parents, I decided to study the sport.
sports studies
At almost 12 years old, I say goodbye to my parents, to the farm and to the family home where I grew up. to Caen. The rhythm intensifies very quickly, I go from five to twelve hours of training per week. The beginnings far from my family and my childhood friends are difficult, but very quickly I surround myself with other top athletes with whom I develop and share my passion.
Even though I love my daily studies in physical education, I never miss an opportunity to return home to recharge my batteries. Spending time on the farm and taking care of the animals always gives me so much joy.
Mélodie on the tatami in September 2018 in Strasbourg.RD
At 14, I won the coveted black belt in judoka. National and international competitions, individual or team, make me realize that I can make a career out of this sport. I’m trying to get ahead, but dropping out of school is not an option for me. Even if these two activities are incompatible for some athletes, I have a deep desire to continue learning about the world around me!
Become an agricultural engineer
My life as a student and as an athlete took a turn when I arrived in terminale when I joined the Pôle de France in Bordeaux to study physical education. A lot of changes that were a little destabilizing at the beginning and suddenly a very positive click in the middle of the year during a weekend with my parents. Having always evolved close to nature and the living, I understand that I wish to continue my studies in the agronomic field and obtain the Diploma of Agricultural Engineer.
Before joining a specialized school, I obtained a degree in biology and in September 2021 I joined the only agronomy school in New Aquitaine: Bordeaux Sciences Agro. Having spent most of my school years in physical education classes, two fears crystallize before the start of the school year. The first: Will I be able to reconcile the often very busy schedule of an agricultural engineering student with my fifteen hours of judo training per week? Secondly, after years alongside top athletes, I’m a little afraid of being confronted with students who are “far from my world” and who risk being confused by my professional and sporting ambitions.
Adjustments to my schedule
September 1, 2021 is the big day. That of my return to Bordeaux Sciences Agro. I play the game by participating in the integration activities offered by the school during the first weeks. My fear of coming back is quickly erased. The agricultural engineering courses fascinate me, the students are nice and friendly, the atmosphere at school is very friendly and judo training fits very well into my schedule thanks to the regulations validated by the management of school.
During an outdoor course at Bordeaux Sciences Agro.RD
A few weeks after the start of the school year, I recognize the greatest pride of my career as a judoka, having won the European championships and then the world championships with the team. In this category we are six athletes (mixed) and each one fights in his category (I was in “Junior” at the time because I was under 20 years old). To win the round, you need 4 wins out of 6.
I’m going back to France with a huge sense of accomplishment and I’m trying to catch up on my lessons as much as possible between training sessions, even if it’s not always easy. Since my schedule is very out of step with other students, I sometimes have more difficulty working in a group. But I try to organize myself as well as possible to get the best out of myself.
Objective: Paris 2024
I validate my last semester, and with it my first year, which encourages me all the more to continue to juggle between student and sports caps. This first year allowed me to identify the sectors of agronomy that particularly interested me. It might have to do with exercise, but I loved the nutrition classes and I’m considering taking a nutrition class more and more.
Next meeting for the judo component: the French 1st senior league championships in April 2022. Now I am in the senior category (up to -63 kg). The final consecration remains of course the Olympic Games, but there is still a bit of work to do (in particular winning national and international competitions with senior status) before qualifying and setting off on the tatami mats of Paris 2024! »
To note
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