Everyday exceptionalist 14: Jeremy Nicollin

Jeremy is a French athlete, specialist in javelin throwing. He won the title of the javelin throw at the 2014 French championship in Reims, by bringing his personal record to 74.41m

When did you fall in love with what you do and how did you get started?

It was when I was 8 years old. My father took us trekking in a canyon ten minutes from our house in Jura’s mountains, France. We jumped from different heights and I loved that! From then, I have done cliff diving every summer, but I couldn’t push myself too hard because I was a professional athlete in javelin throw. I stopped my career in early 2021, so now I can do whatever I want and push myself on difficult jumps.

Who was or still is your mentor?

So, my mentor is my father. I mean he made me discover this sport.

What drives you on?

I have always had the pleasure of pushing myself, exploring my limits. It gives me pleasure and self-confidence. I need challenges and with cliff diving it’s a permanent challenge. You always have to be focused because every jump is different and dangerous in its way. So, when you succeed you have a big adrenaline rush. Then you just want to find another jump spot to try new tricks or the same tricks in another way.

Ambition or talent: which matters more to success?

Ambition because ambition makes you work and talent comes from work. A talented person is just someone that started to work earlier or more than you. Of course, there are genetic differences, but with work you can fill in the gap. And when you start to think like that, everything becomes possible. So, ambition is the key.

If there was one-piece advice you could give to people aspiring to do what you do, what would it be?

First is to check the environment where you want to jump. Is it deep enough? Can you climb back after the jump? Second is to go step by step. Don’t rush big heights, you need to learn how to control your balance in the air and you have to develop specific strength for the impacts.

What is the greatest challenge of our time?

I think that the greatest challenge is for humanity to learn to put its pride and ego aside. It is easier to say it’s someone else's fault than to work on yourself. If we understand that, we will be ready to work together and to make good decisions for our planet.