This is probably THE news favorite sports personality of the French, perhaps even ahead of the judoka champion Teddy Riner: the young Léon Marchand has, in just a few weeks, stolen the hearts of a good part of the French. Such success that the young man was even called up during the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to extinguish the flame at the Tuileries.
Now, far from the controversies that surrounded him and from the TV sets, Leon Marchand is enjoying a well-deserved rest. The opportunity for him to concentrate on something else, far from the pools, and in particular his astonishing reconversion that he is already preparing. A project
ambitious but not always easy to follow on a daily basis in his busy schedule. Between his many hours of training at UNITED STATES and his studies, the young prodigy has little time to devote to his
hobbies.
Léon Marchand ready to end his career? This surprising reconversion that he has started, “I would like to…”
So what is this project that the young swimmer would like to spend more time on? It is l’aviation. Not to become an airline pilot, contrary to what one might think, but to drive his own planeprivate. A goal he has had in mind for some time now, and which he had started in France, even before training in Arizona under the command of Bob Browman.
“I thought I would finish it in the US, but it’s quite complicated. There are quite a few administrative papers because when you are a foreigner, you can’t fly a plane like that”he had also confided to
The Dispatch. Before admitting that I haven’t yet “had time to spend it”. “I managed to do about fifteen hours in the US last year, and this year I have to get back to it. I would like to have my private pilot’s license.”
His dream? To fly for “go see the Grand
Canyon”just “one hour by plane” from his home.
crédit photo : shutterstock
Léon Marchand: a daily life at 100 miles an hour
If he can now devote himself entirely to his passion because vacationit is less likely that this will be the case by the start of the school year. Like many students, the one who was seen in the company of a very charming athlete will have to go back to school trainings and his courses. He will then have to resume the cadence imposed on him, and to complete his studies in computer science. All this between two morning workouts, his revisions, his moments of relaxation and rest, but also his stretching and weight training sessions.
“It’s not easy because I’m in a
programming diploma. It’s already one of the most difficult to manage when you only do that, so it’s true that when you swim at the same time, it’s quite difficult. But the system still allows you to achieve a balance between the two.”explained the French athlete’s favorite to The Dispatch.
Celebrity: A new equation to consider in the swimmer’s life
Beyond this back-to-school season which promises to be busy, and this pace to which he will have to adapt again, Léon Marchand will also have to learn to manage the celebrity. Known worldwide for his exploits now, he is constantly approached by fans who want a souvenir with him. A new equation to take into account, and not necessarily very appreciable.
crédit photo : shutterstock
“I’m taking it full in the face today, let’s not lie to each other, it happens suddenly. Of course, I had thought about it but now I’m going to experience it concretely”he explained to France Info. He also concluded, lucid about his situation: “I think I will lose some spontaneity
in what I’m going to do publicly. I’m going to have a group that follows me everywhere but honestly it’s okay, it’s my family, it’s close to me so I’m fine with it.”
