Célia Karleskind is the free spirit among our ambassadors! Always on the go, she first put on skis at the age of 4. Since then, this Chamonix native has been collecting titles, first in cross-country skiing and then in triathlon, marathon and trail running. She draws her boundless energy from her diet and her knowledge of micronutrition. Read on to find out more about her!
A: Tell us a bit about your background!
Célia: I was born and grew up in Chamonix – which makes me very happy! I was in the ski-study programme at secondary school in Chamonix, then went on to sixth-form college in Le Fayet, still on a ski-study programme.
A: How long have you been doing sport? What sports did you do as a child?
C: I’ve been doing sport since I was 4 or 5. I started by winning the MINI VASA, a cross-country ski race, then took up gymnastics before coming back to cross-country skiing.
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A: How and when did you realise you had a talent for cross-country skiing? Why did you choose this discipline?
C: I chose it because my two older brothers did it, so I decided to give up gymnastics. But if my mother had signed me up for piano lessons, I’d probably have played the piano! I don’t know whether I had talent, but I certainly loved going to training, being outdoors in nature and seeing my friends! At secondary school we were UNSS (French school sports) world team runners-up, behind the Russians – I think that must have made me want to carry on!
A: What is your best memory from your career as an elite athlete?
C: Without a doubt, my French double pursuit title and the party we had afterwards!
A: Why did you give up the sport?
C: After overtraining, I burnt out and my performance dropped. I couldn’t stand not being at the front any more!
A: Having been through it, do you have any advice for other athletes on avoiding overtraining? And did it play a part in your choice of career?
C: To avoid overtraining, I recommend putting quality before quantity and, above all, listening to yourself: coaches don’t live in our bodies, and we are able to sense when our body and mind are running out of steam.
Yes, it did play a part, because after that episode Denis Riché took me under his wing and introduced me to micronutrition. It fascinated me and steered me towards this career.
A: What sports do you do today?
C: I’ve taken up climbing, running, ski touring, alpine skiing and yoga.
A: Tell us a bit about the CCC (01/09/2017) – you finished 26th in your category!
C: A perfect RACE! I enjoyed every moment and never once regretted starting. I kept to a fairly slow cruising pace so as not to tire too quickly. My only goal was to finish. My best friend ran the first part with me, which made the course more fun. I felt great on the climbs, but I was more apprehensive on the descents because I’d injured my ankle in May. In the end, I coped with them well! I managed this race well on every level (nutrition, rest, hydration…) and loved it so much that I’m hesitant to do another in case it doesn’t go as well! I was lucky, because a month before, some friends offered me a strength and plyometrics block, which meant I finished “fairly fresh”!
A: Where does your motivation for your sporting challenges come from?
C: I have no idea! Probably from being very demanding of myself, and no doubt a bit of ego too! If I don’t set myself goals, I tend to let things slide!
A: How did your interest in micronutrition start?
C: Thanks to Denis Riché, who looked after me when I was overtrained.
A: You’re not just a great athlete. Tell us a bit about your career as a nutritionist!
C: I got my BTS (a two-year vocational diploma) in dietetics in 2009, during which I did an internship at Efficium, where I got on really well with the director! Then for 4 years I worked at Phytolis, a distributor of micronutrition and herbal medicine products, as a medical sales representative and pharmacy trainer. Since the end of 2016, I’ve been working as a freelance nutritionist at Efficium. I work with athletes through Algorigin and also through Run & Sens, a training centre. I also write health articles for the Zanatura website.
Read also: Interview with Lawrence Laughery
A: What are the main reasons people come to see you as a nutritionist?
C: Because I’m mega cool! Joking aside, it’s true that I get on well with patients, and they can tell I’m not there to frustrate them or put them on an impossible diet.
A: How do you assess a patient’s needs? What happens in a session with you?
C: At a first 90-minute meeting, I take a full history of the patient’s overall health. I measure fat mass, lean mass, body water, fluid balance… and above all, I listen. That’s essential, both to understand their goal and to get a sense of their personality, so I can find the right levers to support them as they make changes.
We then meet several more times, with longer or shorter intervals between appointments, sometimes after specific lab tests.
A: What’s your secret for helping your patients make progress?
C: Positive manipulation! The word may sound scary, but it shouldn’t. By tapping into their interests and motivations, patients find it much easier to stick to their programme.
A: What do you enjoy most about your job?
C: Talking to people and helping them feel better in themselves.
A: Tell us a bit about your upcoming projects!
C: Learning to behave myself!
And maybe the UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc), training in naturopathy and yoga. Enjoying sport just for fun and climbing without being afraid of heights! Also Mont Blanc via the Bionnassay ridge, the Dent du Géant and the Matterhorn.
A wedding in India! Not mine, but there’s a great party in store.
A surf trip to Indonesia!
A: Do you follow a particular nutrition plan yourself?
C: Yes, I eat according to my emotional hormones! I apply what I suggest to my patients, based on my own needs. I cook a lot.
A: What are your best food tips / tricks for feeling good?
C: Cut out alcohol first and foremost!
A: Which Algorigin products have you tried?
C: Your spirulina
A: In your view, what are the benefits of algae?
C: They contain nothing but good things! All the vitamins and minerals except vitamin C, and all the amino acids. And they have plenty of other resources. They are complete and perfect for supporting an athlete.
A: Have you noticed any particular improvements in your daily life since you started taking algae?
C: I’ll answer that once I’ve tried more algae!
A: How do you prefer to take your algae?
C: As a capsule with a glass of water. Quick and easy!
A: Do you have an algae-based recipe to share with us?
C: Mackerel with a seaweed tartare spread on good gluten-free bread.
MORE ABOUT CÉLIA KARLESKIND:
– Age: 30 (born 31.07.87)
– Family: 2 older brothers aged 37 and 35
– Sports: cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, ski touring, climbing, running
– Job: dietitian and micronutritionist
– You in 3 words: spontaneous, caring, “down-to-earth”!
– Achievements:
- 2004: French double pursuit champion in cross-country skiing
- 2004 to 2006: several European Cup races in cross-country skiing, including 2 top-20 finishes
- 2009: French under-23 mountain running champion
- 2014: 1st in the 23 km Trans’Ju’Trail
- 2014–2015: triathlon
- 2016: 4th in the Trail des Fiz (70 km) and 25th in the Mont-Blanc Marathon
- 2016: a few team wins in short multisport raids (over 1–2 days) with friends
- 2017: finished the CCC in 18 h 46
