Like we all know, specifically in France, this summer is a sporting one with the launching of Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The most important and sports event of the World, gathering on July 26th thousands of sportsmen and women, coaches, and supporters. So, we have thought, that communicate this sport spirit all along the summer, to the workers and holidaymakers will be such a pleasant idea.
Let’s start officially with this blog articles series: "Abyss Ingredients at the heart of sport" dedicated to sport practice of our athletes, but also our Abyss team… Stay tuned!
Portrait of the day: Mathieu Ziéglé
Mathieu Ziéglé is our sales manager four South East Asia area at Abyss. Beyond his perseverance, his rigour and his ability to relate to people in the last 3 years, discover him form another side: sport and specifically Thaï boxing.
Mathieu started Thaï boxing 9 years ago and never get tired of. After he tried «running, diving and badminton, it is his passion for sport in general that came out on top, as he not only practices Thai boxing but also runs. |  |
Today, he handles at once his salesman career and his passion for sport.
We are very proud to present a little part of her sport through this interview.
What values does sport pass on to you?
« The discipline, without a doubt. Boxing really puts you in a frame, it's a tough sport that really allows you to excel.
There's also the discipline aspect of having to go to training, not complaining or moaning.... I'm a lot more disciplined that way; it's made me a lot 'squarer'. I do it 6 days a week and I never break it, so yes, I can say that boxing has taught me discipline. »
What role does sport play in your life and what do you get out of it?
« So, I have to say that I love it: all the endorphins, releasing everything, feeling good, it's great. Personally, though, I have a slightly 'unhealthy' relationship with sport in general, because it really is an addiction, and like all addictions, it has its downsides because you can't live without it.
During the covid, for example, I quickly realised the importance and addictive nature of sport for me, particularly with the curfew. I set up strategies to succeed in doing it no matter what. »
How do you reconcile your professional and personal life with physical activity?
« Honestly, you're running on your personal life.
As for work, you don't have the choice of going in and doing your day. But I'm lucky enough that I don't always have the same pattern at work, so I don't have the same hours. So, I have more or less time to devote to sport. If I have at least two hours, I can go boxing. But if I have less time, say an hour, I'll go jogging instead.
That said, I also like to organise my time in this way: I'd rather go and do sport than watch a film, for example. Not to mention the fact that my place of work is so close to my home, which also means that I can combine work and sport in the same day, without having to worry about getting home, traffic jams, etc.... »« Alors moi il faut savoir que j’adore ça : toute l’endorphine, tout relâcher, se sentir bien, c’est vraiment génial ! Après personnellement, j’ai une relation avec le sport en général un peu “malsaine”, puisque c’est vraiment une addiction, et comme toutes les addictions, ça a des mauvais côtés parce que tu ne peux pas t’en passer.
How do you deal with procrastination in sport?
« I think you have to give yourself discipline.
It's a different matter for me because I personally converted an addiction (smoking) into that of sport. I'm more affected by something called bigorexia, which is an addiction to physical exercise. Certainly, if I had the time to do it twice a day I would.
So, I'm not affected by the phenomenon of procrastination, but I still think it's a question of rigour too. For example, as I said, I have a very rhythmic schedule, and I have the discipline to say to myself: "I've slept for over 6 hours, I'm hydrated, so I'm fit to go and do my sport", and I go."
In fact, it's really the idea of setting yourself a goal. And it's just as valid for your professional life as it is for your personal life: you set yourself a goal, and even if you come up against obstacles, you don't give up, because if you give up straight away, it'll never work. »
Which athlete inspires you across all disciplines?
« Without hesitation, boxer Youssef Boughanem. He's a French-speaking Belgian who's had a really tough life: he lost his parents when he was very young, and he's also the oldest of his siblings.
His younger brother was involved in some shady business and his younger sister was disabled, so he had to look after her and to do that he went off to box in Thailand. He became famous there. And he really boxed to eat and survive.
He slept in seedy places and had to share meals with his brother, but he managed to build himself up and carry his brother and sister on his own. And despite his success and experience, he remains incredibly humble. »
What are the most important technical skills to master in Thai boxing?
« For me, it really means having a heart. And having heart in the sense of having courage.
Courage is really important because a man who comes with shortcomings is very likely to be beaten technically speaking. But if he has the heart and the courage, he'll easily make it through to round 5. On the other hand, a man who's very strong technically but doesn't have the heart will never have the motivation to make it through to round 5. You either have it or you don't, it's innate.
My second point is to have the "jai yen", which means a cold heart. This is very important because when you're boxing, you get a rush of adrenaline, and you really must be able to keep your inner calm. The strongest fighters are those who stay calm, who have a cold heart: they don't let themselves get carried away and don't go into battle without thinking. »
Do you fight? If so, which one made the biggest impression on you?
 | « Yes, I do fight, and they're all formative in one way or another.
The one where I ended up with 7 stitches particularly marked me in every sense of the word, and it was also the one where I enjoyed myself the most. And in a way, I think the first fight is usually the most memorable, because it is the first one. » |
Do you take food supplements as part of your sporting activities?
« Yes, I take Cartidyss for joint pain, such as that which appears in my knees during the last kilometres of a race. I did a course of it for nearly 15 days, and it worked really well, I'm no longer in pain.
I also take Spirulina, which is really a very complete product: it stimulates and also gives you a lot of energy. I often take quite a lot before a fight, or if I've got a big week of work coming up, so that I'm really boosted. »
How do you analyze your opponent's strengths and weaknesses before a fight?
« The fight is often won beforehand: at the weigh-in, you also look to see whether or not your opponent is psychologically strong.
That said, it's complicated to analyse at the time, because you're in the action with all the adrenalin of the fight.
But I'd still say that experience plays a key role, especially in Thai boxing: you analyse particularly with your morphology. For example, if my opponent is taller than me, I'm going to avoid going into hand-to-hand combat. And if he's shorter, I'm going to have to be more careful about blocking him, because he's potentially going to want to kick me straight in the legs.
Analysing videos of fights that your opponent may have fought can also be very useful. I'm thinking in particular of analysing style, technique and so on. »
What advice would you give to someone starting out in Thai boxing?
« I'd say to him "get your hands up" (he laughs), certainly, get your guard up and therefore your hands up. You've got to enjoy yourself, if you like adversity and a challenge, then put your hands up and throw a good right back! »
Thanks Mathieu for your sharing!
