THOMAS Martin

General
FULL-TIME ATHLETE
In 2012 he took a break from paddling to concentrate on becoming a physiotherapist. After three years studying biology he studied physiotherapy through the Masso-Kinesitherapy Training Institute [IFMK] in Toulouse. He worked as a sports physiotherapist for four years before shifting focus to being a professional athlete in 2019. "I spent four years working as a sports physiotherapist, although I had to stop because I wanted to take a step forward to reach my sporting goals. I could no longer keep up with the nine-hour working day and the intense training sessions. Sometimes I trained alone at night, before or after work, but the fatigue just kept building up. I decided to go fully professional at the beginning of 2019. Since then, my results have been improving steadily towards my selection for the Olympics. I have to admit that it's more the knowledge acquired from my high level sports that helps me in my practice than the other way round. I am always trying to discover what is best in terms of training and recovery. I enjoy seeking out the latest scientific studies." (caderas-martin.com, 01 Nov 2020; LinkedIn profile, 02 Mar 2021; france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr, 12 Sep 2015)

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
He and French kitesurfer Armelle Courtois co-founded the Riding to Explore initiative in order to raise awareness about global warming. "I am deeply passionate about this project and fully committed to it. We wanted to create a sporting initiative that would serve an environmental message. We set ourselves the goal of going kite surfing at an altitude of over 5000m on glacial lakes. The lakes that we go kiting on appeared only a few years ago due to glaciers melting. By kiting on them, we draw attention to global warming, showing how we glide on water where a few years ago huge glaciers used to stand. These freshwater reserves are doomed to disappear. This represents a potential threat to billions of people. Thanks to this project, I am pleased to be able to put my image as a sportsman at the service of major socio-environmental issues." (caderas-martin.com, 01 Nov 2020; lequipe.fr, 05 Oct 2020)

JAPANESE EXPERIENCE
Having spent time training in Japan in 2019, he says he was inspired even before his qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "I spent two weeks there [in Japan] at the end of 2019 for the inauguration of the Olympic Whitewater Stadium. This first training camp on the site of the future Olympics, as well as the local culture, really inspired me to want to go back there. It provided me with a lot of motivation in the preparation for my selection. The Japanese culture is enthralling, the landscapes are magnificent, and the food is to die for." (caderas-martin.com, 01 Nov 2020)