The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Gaël Fickou: “Ten years goes by in the blink of an eye”

2023-03-17T12:55:33.453Z


Outside the rugby pitches, we know little about it, but the key player of the XV of France is also a watch enthusiast… And the piano!


Gaël Fickou is quite simply a reference within the French rugby team.

This does not detract from its simplicity, its kindness and its discretion.

The player born in 1994 will already have made his 79th cap with the Blues in the match against Wales, the last of the 2023 vintage Six Nations tournament. within the XV of France.

The tricolor center who has worn the Blues jersey for ten years now also lines up 40 matches played in the Six Nations Tournament.

What is less known is that the new ambassador of the Swiss watch brand Breitling (also the new official timekeeper of the Six Nations Tournament) is a watch enthusiast… And now the piano.

He gave us a few minutes,



Your first watch memory?


Gael Fickou:

it's my father, who loved watches.

He was an absolute fan, but he didn't wear fancy watches.

They were small watches, not big brands.

I've always seen him with I don't know how many watches.

He was fixing them, or I don't know what he was doing with them.

So that's what made me love them.

Afterwards, when you make a little living, you can afford to buy beautiful watches.

It really is one of my passions.

I have about ten of them, and it's the only piece of jewelry I wear that attracts me.

The rest doesn't interest me.

That's what I find most refined in a man.

I sometimes wear a connected watch because when I do sports, you have to be up to date and have GPS, data... But the rest of the time, I'm very classic.

Gaël Fickou, at the center of the device of the XV of France.

Breitling



In life, are you rather ahead or behind?


Honestly rather early.

For what ?

Because in our sport, we have to be rigorous.

We can't afford to be late.

Afterwards, in Paris, it can happen with traffic jams…



Your personal definition of real free time

?


For me, it's spending time with family, friends, having fun and escaping a little outside the world of rugby.

It's important, because rugby takes up 99% of our time.

This remaining 1% is made to move on, to enjoy.

It's not easy, but we have nothing to complain about, we have a rather dense life.



Is the career of a top athlete a race against time?


That's totally it.

It's made of passion and madness, but yes.

I started at 18 in the professional team, it's already been ten years.

It's short, but I remember the old ones who said to me:

“be careful, Gaël, it goes by quickly”

.

Now I'm the old one, it's weird!

In truth, it passes so quickly that we do not realize it.

I feel like I blinked and arrived ten years later.

You have to enjoy life to the fullest in everything you experience, because you are incredibly lucky.

The Breitling rugby squad for the Six Nations tournament.

Breitling



Does time flow at the same speed on the pitch?


It depends !

When you win, it passes quickly;

when you lose, it passes more slowly, obviously.

After, we have indications on the ground and around which make that we know where we are.

Of course, when the action is played, we don't watch, we don't have time.

In general, we manage to know where we are.



The most unforgettable moment of your life so far?


I would say victory in the Six Nations tournament.

It was pretty incredible to win it, to lift the trophy.



If you could go back in time to meet a missing person?


It's not a simple question… But I would say my mom, from a personal point of view.

I lost her some time ago.

Otherwise, if I had to talk about a little known person, I would say Nelson Mandela for what he did and what he represented.

He had quite an impressive strength of character.



Rather winter or summer time?


Rather summer time, because honestly, winter in Paris is cold and a bit complicated.

When you're at 8 a.m. in shorts on the pitch, it stings a bit!

But in summer, the days last longer, the weather is nice.

And Paris under the sun is magnificent.



What would you like to learn new that you are not doing yet?


I love the piano, I try to learn.

I don't like to say it, because afterwards, everyone teases me!

It's really a passion that I discovered not long ago, only a few months ago.

I started to learn a few pieces.

When I was young, I would have loved to do it, but I couldn't afford it.

My parents didn't have a piano.

But it's really a trick.

If tomorrow I have children, I will pass that on to them, playing the piano or playing an instrument.

It's not simple at all, but it's a magnificent instrument.



To conclude, if you could take a short 48-hour break?


I would say Ibiza, but not for the party side.

On this small island, there is everything, it is great.

There is something for everyone, good restaurants, something to party like little corners to stay quiet.

It's a pretty amazing place.




Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2023-03-17

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-27T16:45:54.081Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.