27 years old and looking to retire from her professional sport of snowboarding, Mirabelle Thovex, an Olympian and World Championship snowboarder from France is looking forward to the prospect of transitioning into a position with EY with the support of Athlete Career Transition (ACT).
Having started from the young age of 8, snowboarding has always been something that Mirabelle has enjoyed and wanted to continue into a career, “I realised snowboarding was a sport I wanted to pursue when I was a child and won my first French Championships. I also remember the first trip I did with my sponsor, I was really young but I already loved the way we were working,” said Mirabelle.
Elite athletes have a hectic training schedule, but one which allows them to compete at the top end of their sport. Mirabelle trained at least four hours a day on snow and at least two to three hours in the gym. The weather was a huge factor in the training schedule and days would be different day to day, if the weather was good she would have longer sessions on the snow and if the weather was bad she could only train for around an hour, but this didn’t affect her attitude towards the sport or determination to succeed.
“My brother is my biggest influence, firstly, because he’s my big brother but also because I have always been so impressed with the career he has. He’s a freestyle skier and has touched every aspect of the sport, succeeding at every point. I love his way of thinking, skiing and working,” said Mirabelle.
Having someone to look up to or to a goal to work towards is a common trait in all athletes, they thrive on striving to be the best. Not only has Mirabelle been training professionally in snowboarding but she’s also been concentrating on her education completing a degree in customer relationship management and a Masters 2 in business, innovation and entrepreneurship all whilst at the highest level in her sport. Her advice to young people currently in elite sport would be, “keep studying, this is the key. I really think that it’s important to think about something else, or work on something else other than your sport when you are in an athletic career.
“It also helps you in your sport and it’s important to understand that’s it not all about your sport. Then when you feel your career is about to be done, make sure you have good people around you. People who understand your feelings, helps you to find your way and shows you all the skills and values you have for a professional career. Just like ACT did with me.”
Andy Moore, former Welsh international rugby player and co-founder of ACT said: “Transitioning is challenging for any athlete as they need support from people who understand the changes that they’re making within their career. At ACT, we provide the tools and support for them to make their transition as seamless as possible, so that they go on to fulfil a career in the business world with as much knowledge and confidence as they had competing within their sport.”
Mirabelle is looking forward to a new beginning within the business world as she sets herself on the right path to joining EY, “I think that the most challenging part for me will be, to find something that makes my heart beat fast and work with a lot of passion, as much as I did during my snowboarding career. I am still at the very start of my transitioning process and I know it will take time.”