"Most girls leave with eating disorders," warns Marine Boyer, gymnast and three-time Olympian, on a training course in La Rochelle.

Marine Boyer, former captain of the French gymnastics team, discusses her vision of the sport during the first edition of the Gym'Experience in La Rochelle, two gymnastics courses organized between August 3 and 15.

You are originally from Reunion Island and you have trained a lot in the Paris region, why did you choose to organize your first summer camp in La Rochelle?

I have a special attachment to the city. With my friend Omaïma Tounan, co-founder of Gym'Experience, we went to Périgny for our summer camps when we were at the Meaux youth center. We were only 9 or 10 years old, but the memories are still there and we still love the city as much as ever. Even though I want to expand the camp throughout France to give as many gymnasts as possible the opportunity to benefit from the lessons, I would like to keep the camp in La Rochelle. It's truly a magnificent place.

What are the special features of the internship you offer?

It's more than a gymnastics camp. We tried to include all the advice that club coaches don't necessarily give. They often focus on the technical side and can forget about mental preparation or nutrition. Unfortunately, most girls who do gymnastics leave with eating disorders. It's important to talk to them about healthy ways to eat, the changes that happen with puberty, and self-confidence. Thanks to the camp, the girls understand that there are other areas to work on besides pure technique. These are things that are slowly being put in place at the highest level, so you have to give it time to work in the club.

As you mentioned, mental health has become a major issue in elite sport. How has your relationship with this topic evolved over the course of your career?

I started mental preparation at 16, somewhat under duress. It was really in 2021, after my participation in the Tokyo Games, that I decided to hire a mental trainer. I had lost the pleasure, so I wanted to get back into gymnastics properly, with a physiotherapist and a mental trainer. I've had my best years of gymnastics since I started paying attention to my mental health and listening to myself more. I was a little surprised to see that some of the girls present this week had no idea what it was. Getting the word into their heads is already a good start.

At just 25 years old, you've already competed in three Olympic Games and captained the French national team for eight years. How do you feel about this status and the influence that comes with it?

It's a very precocious sport, you get into the circuit very early. I did my first competition with the French team at 11 years old and trained a lot at INSEP (National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance). Also, I didn't necessarily realize what we represent for people, as members of the French team. I understood that I was an example for some girls when I went to the clubs. I saw their eyes shine, dreaming of the French team and the Olympic Games. So, I wanted to share my experience and my advice. It's a way of giving back to those who support me. I've always wanted to do this kind of work. I just didn't have the time before.

One year after the Paris Games, how do you look back on what happened?

I have no memory of it. I had a complete blackout from my fall during warm-up, fifteen minutes before the start of the competition. Which meant I didn't really enjoy my last competition. The hardest part was probably the pressure surrounding us. So we turned off all the networks and stayed in our own little world to avoid being too disappointed by the media and the public. Today, I take this experience as a victory despite everything. I'm the first French woman to have participated in three different Olympic Games, for example. I try to find positive things even in failures.

American women reign supreme in world gymnastics. Do you think it's necessary for young people to move to the United States to perform?

All the athletes say it over and over again: France is not a sports country. There isn't enough money for us, especially after the Paris Games. It's a great opportunity to go to the United States. The level, especially technically, is definitely better. To give you an idea, some of their university teams have a similar level to our national team. However, artistically, we really stand out. We are graceful, classy, and often receive better marks for choreography. They are two different schools.