Former artistic gymnast and coach Cecile Landi?s athletic life has been through a series of ups and downs. She powered through challenges thrown at her as a coach in France and in 2004, she moved to the U.S. to pursue her coaching journey. She has coached some legendary names and one of them is Simone Biles.?
Talking to Olympics.com, the French coach recently opened up about the time she gave birth to her daughter in 2007. Moreover, she returned to work surprisingly soon and didn?t even opt for a leave, even though she had an opportunity to do so.?
Cecile Landi had her priorities set
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According to the interview, the 43-year-old coach revealed she never idled her work as an Olympian gymnastics coach. She even stated that despite being a new mother, she went right back to work within a week. She gave birth to Juliette, who is a national diver for France at the Junior World Championships.
?When you have 35 kids, I don?t know who will come and coach my 35 kids if I?m not around,? she disclosed while talking about her students. Highlighting the added pressure of being a female in the sports industry, she said, ?I think mentally we can handle a lot more than some of the guys around.?
Read More: ?Protect Him at All Costs?: Simone Biles Wins Hearts by Her Gesture Towards Father
Apparently, before and after Landi gave birth, she?never chose to skip work since she felt obliged to train her students, including 7x gold medalist Simone Biles. Furthermore, she added that she was suggested to take a break by her sister, but she downright denied taking one. Inversely, Landi even claimed to have been inspired by Biles herself.??
Simone Biles changed her coach?s perspective
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As per the interview, the notable coach let out her thoughts on having the greatest gymnast of all time as her student. Extraordinarily, Biles introduced her to mental health awareness, which was not prevalent during her time in the 90s. Moreover, her ?female perspective? has had a significant effect on her coaching duties. Landi also confessed that her young pupils helped her open her mind to a newer way of life, while accepting the past prejudices.?
?It has definitely been a big change, and Simone has opened my eyes on a lot of things,? she said. Additionally, she also disclosed that officials back in France had little faith in her and never expected her to thrive in the U.S.?
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Watch This Story:?Baby Biles turns into Simone Biles, mother teases about her joining gymnastics
Proving all of them wrong and embracing the modern world, Landi has come a long way. She works with acute dedication despite the pressure of shaping a world champion. Besides, fans are whole-heartedly waiting for Biles to bag another gold in the next Games. Do you think she’ll be able to set another path-breaking record? Let us know in the comments.?