In his book
Vivre de sports
*, he talks about his need for adrenaline, his well-being philosophy and the lessons that his different physical practices (yoga, freediving, jiu-jitsu, skiing, etc.) have taught him.
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My news?
I share my conception of sport, closer to the philosophy of life or the art of living, in a book. I wanted to explain what the different disciplines that I practice bring me, how I train, how I never get tired... Perhaps I would give people the opportunity to find their own path.
The beginning of my sporting life?
My parents were sporty, and as a child, I tried everything: tennis, Basque pelota, football, surfing, sailing and diving in the summer, skiing in the winter… I had physical predispositions, it was my thing. I was very versatile until my recruitment by the Girondins football club, at 13 years old. Today, I stopped playing football completely. I am often asked for matches, but when you have touched Everest with World Cup or Champions League finals, you have less desire to climb small mountains. However, I cannot imagine life without sport, I have reconnected with the versatility of my childhood.
My well-being secret?
Sport, obviously. Besides, when I'm injured, nothing goes right, including psychologically. I need to surpass myself, to exert myself, to release the energy I have in quantity... Sport is my balance, even if the competitive spirit is less present. Today it's about achieving personal goals and enjoying sporting outings with friends, sharing good meals after exercise.
My current state of mind?
I feel like an athlete again. I recovered from a knee injury that lasted two months.
When you have touched Everest with World Cup or Champions League finals, you have less desire to climb small mountains
Bixente Lizarazu
My current mental load?
My mental load is me! As I am hyperdemanding and quite impatient, I often put pressure on myself. Sport is the valve that keeps me from going off the rails.
My advice for relieving pressure?
Cycling or any endurance sport. They have the virtue of cleaning. When I'm angry, I pedal to become a little lamb again. And I complete it with a yoga session for flexibility and mental balance.
Talking about me on promotion, a chore?
It depends. If there is a respondent in front, that might amuse me. Conversely, when the journalist doesn't want to or isn't curious, I sense it and return the favor.
Too loose a tongue or a wooden tongue?
When I have things to say, I own it. But I also try not to go into a tailspin, to find the right balance. I will never say something just to create buzz. I have trouble with big mouths.
A subject that sets me off my hinges?
What can make me angry is being asked about a specific topic and being asked about something else.
Do I lie in interviews?
No, but I know perfectly well how to preserve my privacy and my secret garden.
I will never say something just to create buzz
Bixente Lizarazu
What do I think of my reflection in the mirror as I get older?
“So far, so good.”
(Laughs.)
The last time I was proud of myself?
It takes a lot for me to be proud, because I have already achieved my holy grail: winning a World Cup. But I'm very happy to have surfed Teahupoo, the wave of the Olympic Games in Tahiti, and to be a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I only started this sport late, at 37 years old.
What am I going to do after this interview?
Finding my daughter and my sweetheart, who let me go skiing with friends. She knew me as a professional footballer, and I am lucky that she accepted my sports addiction, which, even if it is healthy, is also very time-consuming.
*
Live sports. To stay in shape,
Éditions Flammarion, 208 p., €25, to be published on April 3.