Giving the best of yourself: Éva Bohnenstengel, French parasport 1,500 metres indoor champion
Tales of sport: a series of testimonies in which EDHEC students – high-level athletes or those engaged in competitive sport – share their passion for their respective sports. They also tell us how their sports activity combines with their studies.
A third-year student on the EDHEC International BBA and an intern in the CSR department of the environmental consulting and engineering firm EODD Ingénieurs-Conseils, Éva Bohnenstengel has been competing in parasport athletics for several years. In this testimony, she talks about her day-to-day life as an athlete and the visibility of parasport.
“I discovered athletics five years ago back in high school. My coach at the time spotted my potential right away and encouraged me to start parasport competitions, initially in France, then abroad. I do sport intensively. During training sessions, I’m always looking to improve my results. I do athletics to take part in competitions and my aim is to perform well and extend my limits. I prepare for the championships all year round: in winter, I do middle distance or cross country and in the summer, 400 or 800 metres.”
Each week, Éva has to reconcile her studies and her sporting commitments.
“Combining training sessions and my third year of the BBA is a real challenge! You need to know how to juggle between classes, work outside class and sport. I train very early in the morning or at the end of the day, depending upon the demands of my studies. I do five two-hour training sessions a week, plus two physiotherapy sessions so as to ensure I don’t get injured during a race.”
Éva is aware of the role she can play to raise visibility for parasport.
“I want to promote sport to people with disabilities, but also to talk about the subject in my club, given that I train with non-handicapped people. In addition to the competition aspect and the quest for performance, sport must be experienced in an inclusive manner on a day-to-day basis.”
Éva’s sports activity provides her with peace of mind in her everyday life.
“Athletics gives me balance in my life, just like my studies or my other passions. This year, I took part in the 1,500 metres indoor event at the French parasport championships and I won it. It was an incredible feeling.”
Her next challenge?
“I’m going to train for the 200 metres and the 400 metres to try and qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games!”
