At the PyeongChang Games, Mathilde-Amivi Petitjean looks around the Olympic setting with a look that reveals the pleasure of the moment and a hint of lust. The young woman, who celebrated her 24th birthday on the 10th day of the Winter Olympics, is living her second Olympic dream to the fullest, four years after her debut at Sochi 2014. But she observes the other delegations with the impression of not belonging entirely. to the same world.
Mathilde-Amivi Petitjean is a cross-country skier. Friday February 9, she paraded at the head of the delegation from Togo, her country of birth. The only representative of her Olympic committee, she carried the flag at the opening ceremony. “ It was really special, she says. We feel a little special, really proud, filled with lots of emotions. And we tell ourselves that we will give everything to make this country proud of us! »
Her personal journey destined her to join the beautiful stories of the Olympics. He begins in Togo, his mother's country. At the age of 3, she left Africa to settle in Savoie, her father's region. She discovered cross-country skiing at school. “ In my class, everyone was doing it, I followed suit. she says. Gifted, she joined a regional selection, then the French team.
Soon removed from the national collective among juniors, she was contacted via Facebook by a representative of the Togolese Olympic committee. “ He explained to me that I could go to the Sochi Games in 2014 if I agreed to ski for Togo. " She is hesitating. Then she starts. “ Since then, I have been alone, she recognizes. But I'm not complaining. I was at the Sochi Games. I am in PyeongChang today. »
Unlike her rivals from the major Nordic skiing nations, Mathilde-Amivi Petitjean cannot concentrate on her preparation alone. She must take care of all aspects of her cross-country career, including the logistics of a season on the international circuit. “ I buy my plane tickets, I reserve my hotels, I even have to register for competitions, she details. And I have to buy my equipment, it costs 4 to 5 thousand dollars a year. »
A season costs him $35.000. An Olympic Solidarity grant finances most of it. The rest was provided by his parents, until the arrival at the end of last year of a first partner, Procter & Gamble, one of the IOC sponsors within the TOP program. “ I more or less manage to make ends meet, but the pursuit of my Olympic dream is full of sacrifice and suffering.”, confides the young woman.
She trains 9 months of the year in Quebec, in a Canadian national center, where technicians prepare her skis free of charge. The rest of the time, she continues her studies in France, with the ambition of a career in international trade.
At the PyeongChang Games, Mathilde-Amivi Petitjean failed at the gate in the classic style sprint final. Then she fought with courage in the 10 km freestyle event, completed at 83rd place. She doesn't regret anything. But she knows the price of an Olympic dream.
