Xavier Le Floch, a sporting escapade in the Black Mountains
Chinese portrait of Xavier
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Quality
Perfectionism in training is essential if you want to achieve results.
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Fault
Bounded at time T
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A guilty pleasure
A beer
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Passion
Sport in general, especially triathlons
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An ideal day
Start with a bit of sport, spend time with the family at races, on the beach or in the great outdoors
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Favourite spot in the King Morvan region
The Black Mountains with a view of Gourin
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Le Pays du roi Morvan for you
Nature, greenery, the countryside, rivers, the Montagnes Noires, slate quarries, walks with things to discover everywhere
Starting out at the Gourin swimming pool in Central Brittany
Xavier was born in Gourin in the Pays du Roi Morvan. He went to school there until the end of secondary school, but that's not the best memory he has of the town. School wasn't his thing. "I used to wait until the summer holidays to go to the local swimming pool. I loved swimming. I loved swimming. It quickly became a passion.In fact, he loves sport in general: running, judo, rink hockey... Xavier is curious about everything and, above all, he's tireless!
He discovered triathlon in 1992. For his first race, without any special training, he finished 6th out of 300. This sport, which was still just a hobby for him, turned into a great adventure.
I used to wait until the summer holidays to go to the local swimming pool. It was great fun with my friends. I loved swimming. It quickly became a passion.
Pro triathlon well beyond Brittany
From then on, things moved very quickly for this top-level athlete, who devoted all his time to training.
His results were so good that he was selected for the French national team in 1999! What a journey he has made! And what a track record!
3 medals at the Long Distance World Championships, winner of the Ironman Malaysia in 2007 and the Embrunman in 2008, 5 participations in Hawaii including a 14th place...
Stop! We're stopping here, even if we could go on for a long time!
For years, Xavier has taken part in competitions all over France and all over the world. Every time, he's given it his all. In any case, he doesn't know any other way.
My best memory is the first Ironman I ran in Hawaii. But the hardest was the one in Malaysia.
But a professional sporting career doesn't last forever... After more than 10 years, it's time to move on.
A second career in the Pays du Roi Morvan
To recap, Xavier loves triathlon, Gourin and Les Montagnes Noires, and he's always keen to take on a challenge. So there you have it!
He launched himself into the world of business and set up his company "XLF Coaching". "I offer personalised coaching to sportspeople of all levels, even beginners. Here, nature always offers something to discover. It's a good way of setting yourself a target for each outing.
But Xavier isn't just a businessman. He organised the Pays du Roi Morvan Triathlon. He also runs training sessions for the Gourin Triathlon Duathlon association. It's great here, everyone can run with a champion!
And something tells us that he's not about to tire of the paths of the Montagnes Noires, "my little mountains" as he calls them.
Here's a quick explanation: if you ask Xavier for his favourite hiking spot, his ideal family outing, the place he likes to show his friends... the answer is always the same: "the Montagnes Noires". Isn't that a bit of an obsession?
It's also his favourite place to train, but to catch up with him, you'll have to get up early!
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