Portrait and testimony of Valentine Madrias, vice-champion of France in bodybuilding. The 20-year-old student from Corrèze spends nearly three hours a day training with her coach. Objective: one day to participate in the world championships in Los Angeles. Original article published on January 14, 2023.
At the age of 20, Valentine Madrias is a second-year physio student at the University of Limoges. Studies that fit perfectly with his discipline: bodybuilding.
“It can be complementary in the sense that in physiotherapy, we will have a lot of knowledge in anatomy, the human body, also in the study of muscles. And, precisely, in my sport, the goal is to reshape your body. “, explains the student.
In mid-September, during the French championships organized by the World Federation of Natural Bodybuilding, the WNBF, Valentine became vice-champion of France in Fit body and 3ᵉ in figure.
“I’m happy, it’s a lot of work, a lot of preparation, so yes, I’m proud. My parents supported me throughout the preparation, they even came to see me. They discovered a little, because they don’t didn’t know about this sport and in the end, they were surprised and were very happy with me”, remembers Valentine Madrias, stars in her eyes.
In competition, this young Corrézienne is transformed. Far from the standards of her student life. In bodybuilding, diet is very important. A sport often tarnished by the use of prohibited products. “At the Tour de France, cyclists got caught, in the bodysuit, it’s the same, as in all sports. As soon as you are a high-level athlete, the question can arise”, explains the champion.
As a competition approaches, Valentine trains up to 3 hours a day in a room in Limoges. In a notebook, she writes down all her workouts to observe her progress. “There will be all my series, all my repetitions since the beginning. You have to note everything to be sure that we are progressing well, to see if we make mistakes”.
At the gym, she follows the sound advice of her coach. In this discipline, as in skating, the artistry is just as important as the physical performance.
“When we’re on stage, we no longer have the ice, so the poses have to be repeated a thousand times to do them to the nearest millimetre”
Bernard HartmanValentine’s Coach
“We often criticize body-building a little, because they are in front of the mirror, but in fact, it is very important to land well. The mirror is obviously the reflection that we are looking for in order to when you’re on stage, you no longer have the ice, so the poses have to be repeated a thousand times to do them to the nearest millimeter”, explains Bernard Hartman, coach of Valentine.
Thanks to her results, Valentine Madrias has just joined the French bodybuilding team. His goal: one day to participate in the world championships organized every year in Los Angeles.
