BONNET Charlotte

General
PSYCHOLOGIST
After she was disappointed with her performance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she began working with French sports psychologist Myriam Selmi. "I was in a hole. I wanted to quit swimming after the Games. I lost the joy of competition." She was also struggling to deal with the death of former teammate Camille Muffat, who died in a helicopter accident in 2015. "I was incapable of talking about her without crying. I wouldn't say I was depressed, because some people live through far harder things, but I experienced some depressing phases. Thanks to Myriam I could get rid of certain things." She went on to win four medals [three gold, one bronze] at the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. "In Glasgow I talked to Myriam three times. It is often forgotten how important mental and psychological aspects are for athletes. All athletes should work with a sports psychologist. I would never have been European champion without Myriam." (lepoint.fr, 02 Oct 2018)

TAEKWONDO
In 2017 she began incorporating taekwondo into her training routine. "It was an idea of my coach [Fabrice Pellerin] because I once told him I wanted to break my routine. It's very hard but I learn a lot. It allows me to develop my aggressiveness, something practically non-existent in swimming. That has helped me to look my rivals in their eyes. I learn also to receive blows and I work with other muscles." (lepoint.fr, 02 Oct 2018)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
She is a non-commissioned officer in the French gendarmerie and has been part of the gendarmerie's athlete division since 2014. In 2017 she was named an ambassador for sport in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. (leparisien.fr, 09 Jun 2020; departement06.fr, 09 Feb 2017; Centre National des Sports de la Defense YouTube channel, 01 Jun 2018)

FURTHER EDUCATION
She has studied to become a veterinary assistant. (Instagram profile, 27 May 2018)