In this series of portraits, we introduce you to the best skaters in France who are or have been part of Old Skullz Skateboard in the framework of the Club and stays Skate Camps. Attention aujourd’hui on monte d’un cran, c’est l’Olympienne, la multiple championne de France Charlotte Hym who gets into answering questions from the coach Maxx.
Portrait
M. Hi Cha, you're the first girl to have competed in Olympic street skateboarding, you have a PhD, you work alongside all that, and you skate at a high level! But how…? I don't get it—are you a machine?
I find your journey impressive. To me, you're a real inspiration in terms of determination, hard work and passion. I often use you as an example for girls and even guys who want to understand how to combine studying and skateboarding.
We've been following each other from afar for a few years now. You're from Paris and we're from the south; I've followed your progress for more than 15 years. From a young girl skating the streets all the way to the Olympic Games. It feels strange even saying that, because the contrast is huge. Can you tell us how you got there?
How old are you and where do you live?
C. Hi Max, I'm 30 years old and I live in Paris.
Photo credit: 
Greg Poissonnier
M. How long have you been skating? How did you start?
C. I started skating at around 13. I saw skaters in my neighborhood and wanted to give it a try. I got a skateboard for my birthday and started skating with friends from secondary school.
M. You’ve often heard about the Skate Camps in Paris? I remember sessions with Carl when he was younger and the two of you skated together at Répu. Do you love that spot? Where did you grow up?
C. For a long time, I’ve known the Skate Camps Because I knew some of the kids who were involved, and we ran into each other a few times on spots.
When I started skating, there wasn’t a spot at place de la République (the square was redesigned in 2013). Bastille was the Paris spot. I’d often skate there, then head to other spots with my friends.
For the record, I started skating with Carl much, much later, mostly at Cosa (editor’s note: CosaNostra, the skatepark in Chelles). Carl had already been to Skate Camps, so I’d heard of him.
M. For those who don’t know you, do you mainly skate street or bowl? Both?
C. I skate street. I started in the streets of Paris. I didn’t go to skateparks; I just skated Parisian street spots with my friends.
M. Do you have any sponsors?
C. I've been riding for quite a few years for Snowbeach skateshop. It's the shop where I went when I was young so I'm happy to ride for my local shop. I'm also supported by Nike sb and I get Bones bearings.
M. Tell us the story with Free Dome, the brand from legend Geoff Rowley! How did that happen? How did he contact you?
C. He contacted me through Instagram, said he liked the way I skated and offered me boards. I then went to the US a few times and ran into him, but we couldn’t skate together because he was injured. Unfortunately, the brand didn’t really work out. He closed the team, so I no longer ride for Free Dome.
M. Your journey is impressive: higher education and skating for the French national team. Can you tell us a bit about your studies? What did you study?
C. I went to university after my baccalaureate and studied STAPS (sports science). After my master's, I did a PhD. I now hold a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience. My doctoral research focused on newborns' motor skills and their responses to maternal stimuli such as scent or voice.
M. Do you officially have a profession?
C. I’m currently doing postdoctoral research. I have a part-time research contract. The aim is to publish scientific papers on the research project I’m working on. The current study follows motor development in children born very prematurely.
M. You’ve pursued higher education and have elite athlete status. Is it hard to balance the two? How do you manage it? I imagine both are pretty demanding.
C. During my PhD it was a bit complicated because I had a lot of work. I tried to go skateboarding some evenings during the week and at weekends. When I started my PhD, I didn’t know skateboarding would be in the Olympics, so I hadn’t planned to enter contests and so on. I had to adapt, and my supervisor was really understanding. She let me go on all the trips and helped me adjust my schedule when needed. Now I work half-time, so managing my time is much easier.
M. Can you tell us what it feels like to take part in the Olympic Games? It was also skateboarding’s first appearance. You made French skateboard history, Cha!
C. When I started skating, I never imagined going to the Olympics as a skateboarder. To me, that was another world, the world of elite athletes. Then I had the chance to try to qualify. I gave it everything and made it there.
I was really happy because it was a special experience. I thought I might as well make the most of it and see whether I liked it. In the end, it flew by.
It took place during COVID, so there were no spectators. At the Olympic skatepark, it was just us skaters. It felt a little like any other competition, except there were fewer of us. The main difference was staying in the village with all the other athletes from around the world.
M. What's life like in the village? The athletes? The atmosphere? The French team?
C. The village consists of many buildings housing the different nations taking part in the Olympics. We stayed in the France building, so we’d run into all the French athletes heading out to or returning from training and competitions.
I was staying in an apartment with two girls who did kayaking and canoeing. We got along well, talked about what we did and encouraged each other for the competitions. It was cool! Overall, there was a good atmosphere in the village, even though you could feel some pressure, especially because of COVID. There were tests every day, and if you tested positive, you had to leave the village and the competitions for a quarantine hotel. Nobody wanted that to happen.
Otherwise, of course, we got around on our skateboards all the time and went street skating in the village, looking for spots. We could stay at some spots; at others, Vincent and I managed to get kicked out, haha.
M. Haha, skaters behind the scenes! The Olympics are such a milestone in sport that you could stop right there… Do you still have skateboarding goals? For now, or for later?
C. I never skated to get to the Olympics, so my view of skateboarding hasn't changed. I just want to skate every day and keep doing it for as long as possible.
M. Do you feel like taking a break? With everything else you do alongside it, we’d understand…
C. No, I want to continue skating, discover new spots, travel.
M. It is incredible how much girls’ skateboarding is growing, for example this year at club I must be pretty close to a 50/50 split between girls and boys. What advice would you give a girl who's still hesitant to start skating?
C. Give it a try and, to start with, get support from a club or friends so she isn't alone. And above all, if she enjoys it, she shouldn't give up. Skateboarding is hard for everyone. Remember that we were all beginners once, so keep going and persevere.
M. Your favourite French skater? Your all-time greatest skater?
C. I could name several skaters. Vincent Milou is a good example: he makes you want to skate, and his video parts get you motivated with well-chosen tricks. I also really like the way Noah Mahieu skates—his style, his board control…
The Pros | See more interviews
M. You've been hearing about us for years. Can you share your impression of the atmosphere at theexperience of stays from your perspective?
C. Trips look like so much fun. Lots of skating, a great atmosphere, discovering new spots with friends—everything skateboarding is about!
M. Are you currently working on any projects in or outside skating? (Contests, video parts, sponsors, studies, work…)
C. We’ve just released a project with Snowbeach for the shop’s 30th anniversary. Right now it’s winter in Paris, and getting out to skate street is difficult with the rain and cold. I’m waiting for better weather to get back to street projects. As for contests, I’ll try to qualify for the Paris Olympics, so I have competitions coming up.
M. If people want to follow you on Insta, what's your handle:
M. Oh, and one last question: would you recommend that your younger mates or kids do a Skate Camp with us? Why?
C. I would tell them that if they want to go and skate non-stop with their friends at great spots and parks, that’s where you need to go ! I've never experienced them myself, but they look like a super-fun way to make the most of a week's holiday!
M. Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, Cha. If I had a trophy to give to one of the people I most respect in French skateboarding, you'd be top of the list.
I admire the person you are. You remind me a little of Justine Dupont, the surfer I was lucky enough to meet in Tahiti. You both have this remarkable combination of strength of character and kindness. I wish you the very best, Cha.
Really proud of you and happy for you. Hats off to you.
C. Thank you Max! Keep doing what you do for the kids!
Discover more pros during Skate Camps
