Mar 06, 2022
Words by Sarah Osei
“If no one tells you you can succeed as a woman, you wouldn’t even dare try. If no one ever tells you or shows you that you belong as a person of colour, it becomes even more complicated,” says Ysaora Thibus. The French fencing champion and three-time Olympian’s work on and off the piste is about shattering those glass ceilings. From Guadeloupe to the winner’s podium at the Olympics, Ysaora is daring kids to dream like her – regardless of what you look like, where you come from and how impossible that dream might seem.
For this installation of our Daily Life series we caught up with Ysaora in Paris for a day. She shows us how family and home have shaped her on the journey to becoming a world champion. That her hero and mentor Laura Flessel taught her the importance of visibility in shattering limiting beliefs. And how she’s empowering her community through her women-led sports platform EssentiIElle.
Ysaora reminds us that it’s the everyday challenges and victories that shape this journey and these accomplishments. “For me, as a woman in this environment, what I am trying to do is break codes,” she says.
Listen now to specially curated playlist by Ysaora via our Apple Music Curator channel:
Film credits:
Starring Ysaora Thibus
Concept by Isaac Tremaine Kimbugwe
Directed by Bishop Nast
Creative direction: Crypté Studio, Moriba Koné, Isaac Tremaine Kimbugwe
Executive producer: COM1FILM
Production assistant: Eline Roussel
Director of Photography: Atalia (Shot with Kodak films, scanned and developed by Silverway Paris)
1st AD & Hi8: Siadko
1st AC: Sacha Volkov
Photos: Bishop Nast, Siadko & Perlito Celano
Edit & grading: Julien Schmitt (Subtitles: Lola Seeber)
Sound engineer: Pierre Hermand
MUA: Camille Kosienak
Location manager: Kina Productions (Assistant Location manager: Paul Gratreaud)
Music by Boumidjal X - @boumidjal_x Additional tracks: Camporeale, 9 Artist Lab - @camporeale.00, @9artistlab Zed "Africa" - CDBaby Publishing
(S/o: Escrime Paris Nord, Caffé Creole, Le Chevaleret, Le Café Plume, Alexandrine Mira)
