Paralympic Games: Titled in snowboardcross, Cécile Hernandez won the fight of her life!

“The future was not behind me, but in front of me.

Cécile Hernandez became Paralympic champion on Monday in para-snowboard.

An almost unexpected title for the 47-year-old Perpignan, yet a quadruple world champion.

Suffering from multiple sclerosis for twenty years, she could not have competed.

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Recall of facts.

The International Paralympic Committee decides to remove the LL1 category (Severely disabled athletes) from the program of the Beijing Paralympic Games.

The reason is the low number of participants.

However, the IPC has decided to authorize LL1 athletes to participate in events in the LL2 category (Less severely disabled athletes).

Cécile Hernandez took the opportunity to win the world championship in this category.

A real feat.

The CIP then reversed its decision, citing a security problem.

By dint of relentlessness, going so far as to take the case to court, like the American Brenna Huckaby, the Catalan finally obtained the right to participate in the Paralympic Games with the LL2 group on February 16.

Less than three weeks from the test.

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Cécile Hernandez never had any doubts about her ability to be present on D-Day: “I continued to prepare as if nothing had happened.

I wanted to be ready in my snowboard, in my head, also muscularly.

“Once arrived in Beijing, the French was not at the end of his surprises.

“I had a big fall during official training.

I had to go to the clinic in the Olympic village,” she admitted.

But his strength is his head.

Able to evacuate these adventures in order to concentrate on his race.

With her mental trainer, her coaches including Yannis Dole, Cécile Hernandez dissected "all the strong points of the opponents, in order to know where I could improve and thus drive the point home".

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During the final, the future Paralympic champion then saw two of her competitors fall.

The Dutch Bunschoten and the American Brenna Huckaby, finally bronze medal.

However, the quadruple para-snowboard world champion did not succumb to euphoria and remained focused until she reached the goal of her life.

"At one point, I looked at the shadow of the sun to see if the one behind me (Lisa Dejong) was close or not, but I couldn't, so I looked ahead.

Until the end Cécile Hernandez mastered her running and ended up reaching her dream for her third Paralympic Games.

Cécile Hernandez does not believe her eyes.

She has just won France's third gold medal at her Paralympic Games.

Photo by Icon sport Abaca / Icon Sport

The tears then flowed logically.

Because even in China everything was not easy for the Frenchwoman who had to face the suspicious looks of her opponents.

Including that of his 26-year-old comrade, Brenna Huckaby, who was in the same situation several weeks ago.

"She didn't want to unite with me, we went through the same situation, I just felt like we were rivals, we were never friends and it's a shame because she's a very human.

But whatever.

“The Chinese also tried to destabilize Cécile Hernandez as she explained on the France Télévisions set after her coronation: “Just before my official training, the Chinese spoke to the race director and wondered what I was doing here.

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🎙🥇 Paralympic snowboard cross champion, Cécile Hernandez looks back on her journey and her fight to be allowed to compete in the Beijing 2022 Games. #Paralympic

Games ▶ The Paralympic Games: https://t.co/pz4UL2aZG9 pic.twitter.com /YYFiqcShWc

— francetvsport (@francetvsport) March 7, 2022

Finally, this first Paralympic title was the end of the tunnel for Cécile Hernandez.

“This gold medal really embodies all my fight for several months.

But now that's in the past.

“And the Perpignanaise wants to take advantage, before concentrating on the Banked Slalom event, which is not her favorite.

No big deal because even at 47, the future is still ahead of Cécile Hernandez, capable of pushing back mountains.