Young mother just after Tokyo, Manon Genest returns to her best level, with the 2023 World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris in her sights.
Where are you in your season, which should lead you to the Para-athletics World Championships in Paris this summer?
I launched my winter season in December. At the end of a French team internship in Reunion, I took part in my first meeting since my pregnancy. I managed a very satisfying competition, since I jumped twice beyond my best mark at the Paralympic Games, where I had finished 4e. At the end of January, I took part in X-Athletics, where I am doing even better. It’s a very encouraging comeback, which gives me a lot of confidence.
“The love my daughter gives me is worth all the rest in the world! »
You have been a young mother for a little less than a year. What has this baby changed in your daily life as an athlete?
My little princess is 10 months old now, and I still haven’t slept a full night since she was born! She gives me a lot of strength. When she is in the stands, it boosts me. Even on a daily basis, it makes a difference. I know why I get up in the morning to go to training. It is an additional motivation. To manage the fatigue and my return to this level, it required a lot of communication with my trainer and physical trainer. We avoided overtraining, to change the load according to my abilities. Today, knock on wood, we had no injuries, which proves that we managed to have a certain osmosis. The body is a very beautiful machine, which knows how to give us clues if we are listening. Coming back after my pregnancy is still a big challenge. But the love my daughter gives me is worth all the rest in the world!
The Paris Worlds, at home, a year before the Olympics, what does that mean to you?
Having the world championships at home is just huge. For me, who is very patriotic, it’s fantastic. It’s a great opportunity for the public, but also for us, athletes, to be supported. Those who are there every day with us will be able to be present. I don’t see these Worlds as a simple rehearsal before the Olympics. It would be reductive. It’s a real way to prove our form and show how we fight against the world elite. This is the major objective of our season.
“While I was away, the competition got stronger”
From a purely sporting point of view, what are your objectives?
Less than a year after my maternity, it is still difficult to anticipate. I am fully committed to the length. For the sprint, we will see what happens throughout the season. What is certain is that I want to be in the top six in the world for the length at the Worlds. Inevitably, from there, I aim for the podium. Going for a medal so soon after my pregnancy would be wonderful. While I was away, the competition got stronger. It’s up to me to prove that I can come back strong, as the Games approach. If I can show athletes that it’s possible to be a mother during your career and come back to the highest level, that’s the best message I can send.