NOURIA NEWMAN
KS: This has been a big few years! You officially retired from slalom, won Sickline, kayaked in Europe, India, Canada, and the US, knocked off several first descents, and gone back to school. Wow. Is this actually a lot for you, or standard life?
NN: I can’t say it’s standard; I’m not organized enough for that! I guess it’s just been two and a half very big years kayaking wise. In 2015, I finished my masters and the start-up company I worked for went bankrupt. The two following seasons I didn’t make the French team, so I went creeking and traveling instead.
KS: Where does that leave you now? Still traveling and kayaking?
NN: At the moment, I’m doing a three-month course on “Conception and Realization of Documentary Films.” I really miss kayaking but I had a full scholarship, and I am still happy to take on a new challenge and try something different.
KS: What motivated the decision to retire from slalom? How does it feel to be done with that part of your life?
NN: It’s a tough one, and I have mixed feelings about it. I was “too old” and “too slow,” so the French Federation kicked me out of the training program. I don’t think I would have stopped otherwise. In the last three years, I had my worst results ever, but it was also my happiest slalom years. I had an amazing training group, felt good in the boat, and had a lot of fun. I find it hard to end a significant chapter of my life like this. I didn’t entirely choose to stop, and it’s sad to finish on successive failures. On the bright side, being pushed to quit is the best thing that could have happened to me. It allowed me to fully move on.
I FIND IT HARD TO END A SIGNIFICANT CHAPTER OF MY LIFE THIS. I DIDN’T ENTIRELY CHOOSE TO STOP, AND IT’S SAD TO FINISH ON SUCCESSIVE FAILURES.
KS: Do you miss any part of racing? The routine, for example?
NN: I miss slalom for sure, but not so much
