Joint Interview with Artistic Pair Marine Portet and Nathanaël Fouloy

Interview

Hello both of you, how did you start artistic skating?

Marine: I started at the age of 3, naturally following in the footsteps of my big sister!

Nathanaël: I started artistic skating in coming with my cousin who used to practice at the time, I would put skates on and stay on the side.

Did you have a go at other skating practices?

Marine: Yes, I did solo artistic until I was 26, then pair artistic.

Nathanaël: In Noisy-le-Grand, we have the chance to have an artistic skating section, but also a section of rink hockey. When I was in skating school, at the time, we used to do a bit of both. I practiced leisure rink hockey with the hockey daddies in 2012.

How did you meet and how did you decide to skate together?

Marine: We’ve know each other and have been friends for a long time, since 2007. I had planned to stop my solo career at the end of the 2012 season. During a gala in Cestas, France, in February 2012, Nathanaël, who had lost his partner, laid down a crazy challenge to me: doing pair artistic skating with him! I thought he was joking at first, but then I quickly understood that he was serious. I’d always wanted to do pair without never having had the opportunity, but at the same time, I was already 26! However, knowing Nathanaël and trusting him entirely, I didn’t hesitate long! Two weeks later, we did our first try.

Nathanaël: We met for the first time during a Team France training in 2006, then we took part in our first European Championship together in 2007 in Gujan-Mestras, France. At the time, I was skating with Camille Frélicot. I asked Marine to skate with me in February 2012 during a gala in Cestas, France.

I understood that you were not living close to each other. How do you do to train together?

Marine: Indeed, I was living in Bordeaux and he was living in Ile-de-France. During the first two years, from March 2012 to September 2014, we would train on weekends, two to three times per month. I would go up to Paris or he would go down to Bordeaux. In September 2014, when I finished my studies, I made the decision to move to Ile-de-France, easier to find work and easier to train.

What is the best memory you have in common?

Marine and Nathanaël: Without doubt, the bronze medal we got at the 2014 World Championships.

And the worse?

Marine: To be honest, I don’t have any ‘worse’ memory with Nathanaël. When at 26 you get the opportunity to start a new discipline and live all the things we’ve experienced in only 3 years, there’s no room for bad memories! Of course, we’ve known harder times, but all swept away by the good ones 😉

Nathanaël: None!

What is your next objective?

Marine: The selection for the World Games will take place during the World Championships this year. The Top-8 countries will be selected, keeping in mind that it’s the first athlete of each country that is chosen. For example, at the last Worlds, Italy took the whole Top-3, and we were 4th in front of Spain. Which means that we would be the 2nd selected country and Spain, the 3rd.

Nathanaël: On the short term, the French Open in Noisy-le-Grand.

Italy is already omnipresent on the world podiums and the next worlds will take place in Italy. How do you approach this competition?

Marine: We are used to competing in Italy, it won’t be much different. Anyway, we know that they are very strong and that to beat them, wherever you are, you have to be high above them, that’s all!

Nathanaël: We are very calm. It doesn’t really change anything whether the Worlds take place in Italy or some place else, I guess. Pressure will be bigger for the Italians, who will want to show great performances at home.

Apart from skating, what are your professional projects?

Marine: I work full-time as a psycho-motor therapist: one part-time job in a parent-run day nursery, and a second part-time job in a nursing retirement home. My objective would be to open my own private practice, but we’ll see what the future has in stock for me!

Nathanaël: I’d like to become the president of a geriatric structure, retirement home, nursing home, after-care and rehabilitation.

How do you picture the future of French Artistic Skating?

Marine: It’s in safe hands with the youngest generation, and I think we can hope for a glorious future. the problem in France is that our educational system isn’t really compatible with high level sports training, compared to other foreign countries. Lots of athletes stop as we reach higher categories. We practice a demanding sport that requires many years to get the technique and learn how to handle stress… We must find a way to enable our young champions not to be discouraged by the system complexity and have the means to go on!

Nathanaël: Not very good given the sports results, the French Team relies on a lot on individualities, with often only one or two representatives per discipline, contrary to other nations like Italy, Spain or even Colombia.

Free space…

Thanks for the interview!

Technical facts on Marine Portet

Name: Portet, Marine
Born: 07/11/86 in l’Union, France
Size: 161 cm
Weight: 48 kg
Country: France
Lives in: Gournay-sur-Marne
Started skating: Artistic skating at 3
Category: Senior+++!
Favorite trick: Throw jumps
Work: Psycho-motor therapist
Strong points: Throw jumps
Points to improve: Choreography
Favorite music: Dancehall, zouk, salsa, French variety, a bit of everything!
Video games: No
Reading: Books in connection with my job most of the time
Likes: Honesty, South of France, chocolat
Dislikes: Hypocrisy, malice, and when Nathanaël is right.
Qualities: Social, kind, persevering
Flaws: Stubborn (sometimes only!), I’d say perfectionist, but Nathanaël calls it masochism (pain never stops me!)
Club: UAGM
Best memory: Opening ceremony of the World Games in Cali
Worst memory: Seeing ‘number 4’ displayed on the board at the World Games
Spoken languages: French, English and a bit of Spanish
Alcohol or fruit juice? Fruit juice
Beach or mountain? Beach!
Morning or evening? Morning
Cheese or dessert? Dessert
Rap or techno? Rap
Football or rugby? Rugby

Title list

• 18 times French champion (15 solo, 3 pair)
• 3rd at the European Championships in solo in 2010
• 3rd at the European Championships in pair in 2014
• 3rd at the World Championships in pair in 2014

Technical facts on Nathanaël Fouloy

Name: Fouloy, Nathanaël
Nickname: Nathou
Born: 12/29/90 in Noisy-Le-Grand, France
Size: 178 cm
Weight: 78 kg
Lives in: Noisy-le-Grand
Started skating: in 1994 at 3
Category: Senior
Favorite trick: front outside heel spin
Studies: First year of sports studies, state-registered diploma in ergotherapy in 2013, First year of Master’s degree in medical engeneering in 2014, Second year of Master’s degree in geriatric and gerontologic expertise, option: management in 2015.
Work: Freelance ergotherapist since 2013
Strong points: Technique
Points to improve: Choreography 😉
Other sports: Football
Favorite musics: Dancehall, zouk, kompas
Video games: FIFA and Call of Duty
Reading: L’Equipe Sports Magazine
Likes: Traveling
Dislikes: Reading
Qualities: Good listener
Flaws: Hates being wrong
Club: Noisy-le-Grand
Best memory: Party at the 2010 World Championships in Portugal
Worst memory: Competition at the 2010 World Championships in Portugal
Spoken languages: French, Creole, English and notions of Italian
Alcohol or fruit juice? Fruit juice
Beach or mountain? Beach
Morning or evening? Evening
Cheese or dessert? Dessert
Rap or techno? Rap
Football or rugby? Football

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