EMTBOC 2015: Meet Cédric Beill (France)

Name: Cédric Beill Age: 22 Home location: Schirmeck, France Profession and educational background: Sales representative. Years in sport of any kind: 15 years. Years in MTBO: 8 years. IOF World Ranking: 17th position MTBO World Cup 2015: 17th position

What is your best moment in MTB Orienteering so far?

- My best moment is still the 3rd place in Relay, in my first World Championships in elite. It was an incredible race and a really unexpected medal.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

- What motivates me to go out and train on a daily basis is mainly the great moments I have lived during my sport career, especially the gold medals achieved in my last Junior World Championships.

What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?

- I work the mental part a lot, as concentration is really important during the race. To not get distracted by our concurrent and stay focused on the race whatever the conditions are some of the keys which lead to victory.

What are your goals for the European Championships, in Portugal?

- My aim is to reach the podium in one of the distances, I don’t have a favourite one. If I get selected for the Relay, I would also like to perform for the team.

What is your biggest challenge in the competition, and how do you intend to manage it?

- I don’t have a weak point per se, but the most difficult thing for me is to deal with the heat… I’m not used to this kind of weather conditions.

What would be your ultimate achievement for the season?

- As many others, the ultimate goal would be to win a gold medal in the World Championships, as I did in the Junior class. At least, I’m working hard in that direction.

Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?

- Victory doesn’t belong to those who believe in it the most, but to those that believe in it the longest!

Joaquim Margarido