A professional freestyle skier, the young Swiss looked back on her journey during the Oakley Community Days in Laax.
He still lives in the house where he grew up, in a village where almost everyone knows him. 22-year-old Matilda Gremaux lives in La Roche, in the Gruyère region of the canton of Fribourg. The famous cheese originally comes from this region, which he enjoys. Like many athletes, he learned to ski very young and has traveled extensively, splitting his time between training and competition. The difference between young Romande and the others. An award list for the most enviable landscaping.
Her rise began with a silver medal in figure skating at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. He continues his journey in Beijing 2022 with a bronze medal in Big Air and then a gold medal in slopestyle. A record he speaks of with an almost bewildering humility. Because Mathilde Gremaux is already giving herself other challenges to face and question the future. Caught up in the search for his “original ski” and the knowledge about himself that will allow him to live from his passion for a long time.
Madame Figaro. Tell us about your beginnings in pageantry?
Matilda Gremo: When I started freestyle skiing, at the age of 10-12, I didn’t know what it was like, I didn’t even know if there were teams I could train with. My parents came from skiing, I didn’t know this kind of opportunities were still very little known (we are talking about an acrobatic landing on a specially equipped track, editor’s note). The turning point of my career was my participation in the Youth Olympic Games. We are in 2016, I am 16 years old and this is my first international competition. At that very moment I said to myself. “I want to make my passion the story of my life.”
Since 2014, I have been in the regional team called Ski Romand, in the Freestyle department. I stayed there for two years before being selected by Olympic Switzerland for the Youth Olympics. I was kind of the only freestyler from Romandie that they had on hand. Right after I participated in my first world championship. In the summer of 2017, I joined the school, then the Swiss Ski Federation, and everything started then.
How is your daily life organized?
My days are quite full, mostly with sports activities. In winter, I mostly ski during the day and stretch in the evening. When we travel with a team, we easily cook for the whole group, which creates a good dynamic. In the summer I like to bike and golf a lot. Traveling is a part of everyday life, especially for competitions. Training takes place between Switzerland and Austria mainly in autumn, in winter we follow the rhythm of foreign competitions.
What role does the close environment play in an athlete, and in particular you?
My parents don’t work in the ski industry, but my father skied until he was 20 years old. That’s how I got on skis at the age of 2. With my older sister and parents, we would cross over to Switzerland on weekends to explore ski resorts. It really is our winter family activity. On the other hand, not all siblings have followed this path, my sisters like to ski but have not started a professional career.
What are the moments in your career that you are most proud of?
My three medals at the Olympic Games. Each of them has a different story, but the same value. The first one is in 2018, I won a silver medal in slopestyle. I tore my cruciate ligament in March 2017, the Olympics were in March 2018, it was a huge challenge for me. I didn’t even know how to evaluate my level compared to others. Winning was very unexpected, people around me were already happy that I could participate. Four years later, in China, I started with a bronze medal in Big Air. I had just gone through the period of doubts, I had not achieved any results. After winning that bronze medal, I felt so relieved. Like a click, return. “I’m back, I can skate the way I want without putting a limit on myself.” Feelings came back soon after, I had only one desire: to go home to find my parents. I finished twelfth in qualifying for the slopestyle event, which matches the last ranking, narrowly making the final, and that woke me up. Then, I remember that the weather was good, I had rediscovered the desire to ski, I didn’t want to revisit a section that didn’t suit my skiing, that didn’t make me happy. Finally, icing on the cake, I win the gold medal. What I remember today above all is this perfect day of skiing.
Skiing, I don’t want it to feel like a limitation
Matilda Gremo
How do you turn a passion into a professional career?
I think you have to be thoroughly motivated in the beginning and thrive in your sport without thinking about the rest. Not only did those around me encourage me to ski, but they kept me in a bubble that allowed me to stay focused. Good results gradually lead to a professional career. On the other hand, I consider that the search for sponsors and interviews with the media really fit my job, but I don’t want to see skiing as a constraint, I want it to remain fun. It allows me to protect myself, it’s important when you skate, you tell yourself that you’re doing it for us, not for our patrons. I was lucky to be able to make a living from my passion, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Does becoming an Olympic champion change your life?
I come from a small region where everyone knows me more or less because of my results before the games. After my first medal, everything escalated. Media petitions, sponsors’ offers, and requests to participate in events have multiplied. But I don’t feel any additional pressure. People who come to see me are often very happy and it makes me happy to share their joy. They come in saying ‘Oh that’s so good’ and I think ‘it’s so good that’s so good’.
“The Innocence of Skiing”
What challenges are you setting for yourself this year?
It’s still a bit blurry. I didn’t really get the break I needed this summer. I desperately run after him. In terms of results, I feel like I’ve proven what I can do and I feel lucky to have been able to do that. they will not take away my medals. On a personal level, I still have work to do. I would like to be satisfied with my skiing, to rediscover this joy and innocence of skiing. Which is not always easy. I want to be relaxed and feel good on my skis. I will still participate in all competitions, in particular, the world championships. But I don’t set goals like in an Olympic year. I know that if I have fun on skis, the results will follow.
What role does sports equipment play in high-level practice? What are your points of vigilance?
Nothing should be left to chance. I need to be sure about the material. In the first position I would say skis, boots and ski bindings. It is impossible to feel pain and my skis must be removed if necessary. Helmet and mask are also very important. You shouldn’t feel any discomfort in the nose, I’m quite obsessed with it. It is also important that the glass of the mask allows you to clearly distinguish the reliefs and change them according to the weather. Clothing should not be too tight or too baggy. I confess that I also like to be dressed differently from others.
Girls need to be able to thrive in a stable affective environment
Matilda Gremo
Do you still feel a difference in the way men and women are treated in your sport?
I think there always are, but in major competitions, like the X-Games or the International Ski Federation, all public figures are equal. It’s pretty taboo in our sport for contracts, we don’t have visibility into each other’s earnings. The important thing for me is to be satisfied with what I have. For now, I should be able to go on a skiing trip, but that’s about it. I have an agent who deals with contracts, but one day I will definitely be more interested in it.
What advice would you give to young girls who want to take up freestyle skiing?
Don’t hesitate or ask questions. When I took my first steps in the snowpack, there were only boys there and it was the same composition as the team I was on. At first, I was doing better tricks than them, so they had nothing to say when it came to the splits, and I no longer had a monopoly. I was lucky enough to have a good relationship with them and I was not mistreated. However, I know that this is not the same for all girls. However, negative comments can have a decisive effect on the desire to ski. You should make sure you have guy friends who don’t know the difference. Girls need to be able to thrive in a stable affective environment, including the snowpack. Appreciating a skier because he is cold-hearted is not enough, you need to surround yourself with people who respect you.
Source: Le Figaro
