This is the continuation of the series called the Athletes in Transition Project (ATP) and the second part of the Magali Tisseyre report. The columns result from my informal discussions with some of our superstar athletes from the Laurentians: Magali Tisseyre, Xavier Desharnais, Ariane Lavigne, and Erik Guay.

Find the genesis of this series and the first part of the interview with Magali Tisseyre at tremblantexpress.com/author/jmaunders

John Maunder: Do you miss the training schedule?

Magali Tisseyre: Initially, I didn’t miss it at all. […] Later, as a student, I realized that planning my training sessions helped me to integrate the sport into my life, to get myself organized and to seek a feeling of accomplishment on a daily basis.

J.M.: There might be something unnatural, or at least unusual, about pursuing a goal with the singular focus necessary to sports performance. Did you have cravings to do something completely different long before your retirement?

M.T.: […] All my energy went towards the achievement of my goal. I missed the other sports I liked and the intellectual work. At the same time, I was in the now, in the present moment. I didn’t dream of anything else. One small subtlety, however: one of my coaches wanted me to fully live my identity as a triathlete. That always scared me […] I realize now to what point this balance is extremely important for one’s well-being as well as for long-term success in sports and then after one’s career.

[…] I skipped that stage of my life when I would have wanted to start a family. Yet it’s not a regret, because I don’t see it as something missing today. I’m married and I have a family around me. I feel that I have that love a mother would give to her children, but I believe it can be done in various ways. Through work, for example, or through those close to us.

J.M.: What was important to you then… and now?

M.T.: Then: to feel loved, appreciated, and have a place in life. Now: for life to have a bigger purpose…to do something for others, not just personal development or advancement…to give back…to leave a meaningful mark…bring something to the world.

J.M.: It sounds like you are moving up Maslow’s Pyramid

M.T.: Toward self-actualization? Maybe! [Laughs.]

J.M.: Would you like teaching?

M.T.: Oh, yes, if I developed my knowledge and had something to say, I‘d be proud to teach. Or maybe, to become a coach, but I want to take the time to prepare myself well before doing it. I want to put into it all the energy that I put into my development as an athlete. And this time, it would be for others, as well, that I would make that effort.

J.M.: How has the way others see you changed?

M.T.: Maybe some people found it strange that I disappeared from the triathlon scene. Some are getting to know me better as a person, and that is good. I want to be known for who I am, not for my performance.

J.M.: How has the way you see yourself changed?

M.T.: My self-esteem and my real self-confidence are a bit better, but it’s not perfect. I have more compassion for myself and I feel more compassion from others.

When I was racing, that drive to succeed eventually turned against me. I realized that I was always trying to prove myself. When I stopped racing, the question, “What are you worth?”, was hard to answer. The beginning of retirement was a very sad time in my life.

Today, thanks to my own experience, to studying psychology and to the exploration of different philosophies, including Buddhism, I think that true strength lies in resilience. That starts with self-acceptance…in success as well as in failure.

It helps me to have a partner who reinforces by feeling of being loved and esteemed, independently of victory or other successes.

J.M.: What are you doing now?

M.T.: Thanks to my experience as an athlete, my master’s degree in kinesiology and my degree in psychology, I’m looking at coaching. I left triathlon to return with a new perspective. I’m taking a bit of time to bring together these aspects of my life, conceptualize and develop things, acquire the knowledge needed. That’s my road map!

J.M.: Full speed ahead, Magali!

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