Page 148 - Culture Mag

Emilie Cruz
Born 30th September in Ambilly (Haute-Savoie) Nationality: French
Resident of Onnion (74)
Specialist sportingdiscipline: Slopestyle
Other sporting disciplines: Halfpipe and Backcountry
Principal qualities: strong-willed, determined
Enjoys being competitive, overcoming obstacles, rising to the challenge
“I live in a small village: Onnion, at the foot of the skiing resort of Les Brasses. It was in this resort that I began to perform on the slopes at the age of two and a half. At the age of fourteen, in this same small resort, my friends and I were introduced to freestyle.
At that time, I trained by myself without any organised training framework. Then came the arrival of my Qirst competition at the age of sixteen when, along with a friend, I represented Les Brasses. I Qinished third in my category. And so I discovered the atmosphere of freestyle skiing and it proved to be the deQining moment of inspiration for the path of my career.
From eight to fourteen I had practised competitive tennis, but I preferred the spirit of freestyle and I centred my efforts on that discipline.
Indeed, I love its relaxed atmosphere and its values of sharing and mutual cooperation.
Freestyle competition allows me to fulQil my full potential, to surpass myself, to share the thrills, emotion and excitement with my friends and partners. In short, competition is a source of real satisfaction for me.
At the moment, I am proud to represent La Clusaz and its ski club that I joined in 2010 at the age of eighteen. My career on the international circuit began in 2011.I had the satisfaction of becoming Qifth place in the World Junior Championships in 2012 (Valmalenco, Italy). This performance has been recognized by the Ministry of Sports as a ‘Elite Athlete’.