Fabien Palcau (BSB'19) : Top-level athlete

"Commitment is inseparable from the objective. It's what enables us to overcome psychological uncertainties and provide stability over the long term. It's a kind of contract that you make with yourself to guarantee the linearity of your trajectory."

Fabien Palcau has been capped thirteen times by the French track and field team, and has won numerous trophies over 5,000 and 10,000 meters. "Today, I'm worth 13'15'' over 5,000 metres. It's a time that puts me close to the world's best, but I still need to improve to shine at the highest level. To put it in perspective, I missed out on qualifying for Paris 2024 by 10 seconds.

Fabien has decided to devote 100% of his time and energy to his sport in order to achieve the Olympic grail and wear the blue tunic in Los Angeles. "Participating in the Games has been on my mind since the age of 15 and my first significant successes, such as tenth place at the European cross-country championships. I benefit from the support of private partners and my club to be able to rely on a team, with in particular the services of a trainer, a physical trainer, a coach and a mental trainer".

Cool, working out all day? Of course it is. But above all, it's a daily commitment that allows no deviation. "I train every day and 12 to 13 times a week. The program includes intermittent running sessions, muscle strengthening and preparation for victory. Paradoxically, I don't do many races: one or two 10,000 metres, four or five 5,000 metres and about ten cross-country races.

Fabien has a very clear vision of the steps he still needs to take. "A commitment to sport like mine means meticulously putting in place things that will come in handy later on". This philosophy applies not only to running. Fabien Palcau's entire career path is based on this principle. "My time at BSB and the few professional experiences I had laid the foundations for my career change. There's an obvious link between the demands of economic performance and those of sporting performance. Overcoming difficulties is my guiding principle! I'm confident that I'll be able to usefully invest the lessons I've learned today in the future.