And you’re not dreaming, you read right, “sports” in the plural form! And there’s no question of giving up snowboarding immediately.
We searched high and low, but Cécile Hernandez currently holds the female record for the longest-standing Paralympic title in a truly physical discipline. Among the boys, only cyclist Heinz Frei (in handbike, a recumbent bicycle) has also been medalist at 63 years old! He started with skiing and then switched to cycling, which is exactly the path that the double para snowboard champion (and four-time medalist) would like to follow at 51 years old, specifically in track cycling, as she mentioned on Sport en France in the show On s’enflamme: “It’s my base sport, focused on explosiveness and adrenaline. I was offered a project, and since I already do a lot, ‘why not’! It’s a new challenge and I thrive on that.” But that’s not all…
“I will decide to retire, but it won’t be done for me”
In fact, if not track cycling, it will be rock climbing… or why not both for the hyperactive woman from Saint-Estève (near Perpignan)! “I discovered climbing last year, and I wanted to strengthen the risk-taking and upper body, as snowboarding requires grip from the start. I developed this and it worked. Of course, in the beginning, there is a lot of room for improvement. And no matter the age, starting from scratch as I did before in para surfing is great (smile).” Because yes, there is also surfing, which should be part of the program in Los Angeles in 2028.
So, never say never. Will she return to snowboarding to conclude in style at home at 55 in 2030? “What motivates me is not that it’s in France. It would be absolutely great, but I already felt at home in Italy. There were so many French people, and finally real mountains after three Games in artificial mountains built just for that…” The real gauge will solely focus on her health and competitiveness, whether she feels she can continue to progress: “We will assess with my coach. If my multiple sclerosis progresses, if my level stagnates and the competition also progresses, I won’t have a place anymore and I will have to retire. But if I still have room to improve, it’s tough. This year, I progressed tremendously! My only obstacle will be this balance. But I will decide, it won’t be done for me.”
