Éric Alard is a French bobsledder who found success as a bobsleigh athlete and also as a National Coach. In the 1990’s, Alard won multiple medals in World Championship events and made it to two Olympic Games as an athlete.
Following his athletic career, Alard became a successful coach for high performance teams. At the 2014 Sochi Games, he helped the Swiss Bobsleigh Team to win the silver medal.
He has been appointed Athlete Role Model by the International Olympic Committee for the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games and he supports the young participants during the ten competition days of this prestigious event sharing his invaluable experience.
When he was asked for his advice for the young Olympians in the CIFP Booth offering interactive activities within the framework of the Learn and Share Programme, he said with great enthusiasm:
“It is important to do your best when you compete. It is not enough to participate. When you invest a lot of time and energy into your passion, you have to see hard work paying off. You owe it not only to yourself, but also to your family and friends who support you in good and bad times. Besides that, making friendships is invaluable. If you are the winner, it is nice to share your joy with your friends. Without celebrating together, victory means nothing. Furthermore, while respecting your opponents, your coaches, the referees and fans, I encourage the young athletes to have fun and enjoy every minute of the competition. They should be open to every experience which they can share with the next generations. It is their responsibility.”
