We talked to new FAI Women’s Paragliding World Champion Méryl Delferrière after her victory in The Republic of North Macedonia in August 2019.
Congratulations Méryl, you are a force to be reckoned with at the moment! How does it feel to be FAI Women’s Paragliding World Champion?
It’s really cool, it’s such an honour for me to be World Champion and Paragliding World Cup winner in the same year – two titles I’ve dreamed about winning! It took a while for it to sink in after the competition, but now that I’m back home I’ve slipped back into normal life, but my head is full of great memories!
Tell us more about yourself
I’m 22 – I was born on 29 August 1997 in the South of France. Both of my parents were pilots, and I started flying with them in the Vallouise area at the age of 12. When I was 17 I joined the Pôle Espoir at Font-Romeu in the Pyrenees. [In France Pôles Espoirs allow students who are talented in a particluar sport to continue their studies while focussing on and developing their sport]. Now I’m living in Annecy and studying sports science. As well as paragliding I’m interested in free-fall and Base jumping.
When you’ve finished your studies what do you want to do for work?
I don’t know exactly what I want to do, because I like to be active, to travel, to be on holiday and to fly. I don’t like to work too much. I’m hoping I’ll find something that fits in with that!
Did you enjoy the flying in Krushevo?
Yes I did enjoy it, although I didn’t find the site particularly easy. It seemed that if the thermals were good on a task, the transitions were difficult! We had to do a lot of low glides, and it wasn’t easy to find the best lines. The site is versatile though, with both mountains and plains so the task and route options are varied and there is something for everyone. Although I’m not a fan of flatlands, I liked Krushevo a lot because we managed a full ten tasks out of ten – now that’s amazing!
You won six of the tasks, and you were the favourite to win from the outset. Did knowing this give you confidence, or did it pile on the pressure?
I always try to remain as calm and neutral as possible in these situations. I don’t want to raise my hopes too much or to be overly confident. However, when I finish a task if I have placed well it always feels good. I tell myself I’m another step closer, and it was a step well done.
How do you deal with stress and maintain your focus for the tasks?
I take every day as a new day. Every morning there is a whole new task ahead to prepare, to plan, to fly and to land. Each task is like starting again, and I try to give 100% of myself to every element of it. For most of the World Championships this was my approach. It was only in the last tasks that I started to think tactically about the rankings, to work out what I needed to do that day in order to achieve the best ranking possible.
Anyone you’d like to thank?
Yes, I’d like to thank everyone who supports me: my friends, family and sponsors. I am sponsored by Ozone, Pays des Ecrins, Aphex, Naviter and Nomen’k (organic cereal bars). I’d like to say a special thanks to Julian Garcia, my coach at the Pôle Espoir.
As a student, it must be difficult to find the time and the resources to attend these international competitions?
As a student in France with ‘SHN’ [high-level sports] status, I get help with accommodation and I’m allowed to take the necessary time away from my studies to compete. I can even move exam dates and change work groups to fit around competition dates. SHN students are offered additional tutorials to help us catch up on missed lessons if necessary – it’s very flexible and very supportive. It makes it possible for up-and-coming sportspeople to pursue their chosen sport at a high level without having to sacrifice their studies.
You’ve already reached the pinnacle of paragliding competition. Will you carry on competing, or are there other paragliding projects up your sleeve?
I don’t have any plans to stop competing! I have my sights set on climbing the overall rankings if possible, and of course I’d like to try to break some records and have paragliding adventures around the world.
Do you have any advice for women who are thinking of geting into competitions?
This applies to all pilots, not just women, but I would say the most important thing is to enjoy it: enjoy the flying and the experience, and just try to make goal every day. Initially your goals should be to do with making good decisions and flying well, rather than results-based goals.
