Jeremy Royer is one of the new athletes for Team Nordic Expérience. ProXCskiing met Royer during Trollhättan Action Week, before the Alliansloppet race, where he finished 16th. With him, we talked about his goals, training, and also his studies and personal life.
What’s your favorite summer training session?
“I like long training sessions with a tough end. For example, 3 times 3 minutes all out after 4 hours of training at a low pace. I also like to keep running on my preparation. I enjoy running in the mountains.”
And the winter one?
“I like when I come home between the races and when I can go skiing with my friends. We usually go to the Vercors resort or Chamrousse. This is where my favorite ski tracks are.”
Can you tell us what your goals are for the upcoming winter?
“This winter will be my first full season in Ski Classics. In past years I competed in long-distance in France and also traditional XC races. The goal will be to do several top 20 and even better if I can.”
Did you have summer goals as well?
“I don’t really have summer goals in terms of results, but we had the chance to compete in both Blinkfestivalen and Alliansloppet. Those are races where a lot of strong athletes from Ski Classics compete. So, it’s good preparation for winter: we can see where we are compared to them and what we have to work on to progress.”
You already did a Ski Classics race last year with La Diagonela. How was it?
“Yes, it’s the only one I have done, and it went quite well from the beginning to almost the end. I felt in the last 10k. But I guess it’s the game! In the end, I finished 36th.”
Season XIV, 2022/2023, will be your first entire season on the Ski Classics circuit. What is the race that you are dreaming about?
“The race that I’ve always wanted to do is Birkebeinerrennet, and I think the profile is very interesting. And I’ve been trying to get there for a few years now but haven’t managed to. It’s been a bit complicated logistically with the Covid lately. Even last year was complicated because it was the same weekend as the French Clubs Championships, so we didn’t manage to go. But all the races look interesting, and they are all different, so I think it’s going to be an exciting season.”
Let’s talk about you. What are you doing when you are not training?
“I don’t have much free time because I’m also a student. I’m studying at an engineering school in Grenoble (INP Grenoble).”
What is your typical week when you have to go to school?
“I don’t know because I joined the school this year. Before that, I did a preparation to be able to get into this school. When I was in this prep school, I did almost all the classes in April, May, and June to be free during the winter.”
“Overall, I would say that the classes take me about fifteen hours a week. This year I will also be able to organize my schedule, but I will have some classes that will be mandatory on-site.”
If you still have time to watch Netflix, do you have a particular recommendation?
“I just finished Stranger Things, and I really enjoyed the last season. I also started Manifest, which I like, because of the recommendations of my training partners.”
To finish our interview, do you have some advice for young athletes who want to continue their careers?
“Always believe in yourself, never give up and always enjoy yourself. And then, of course, training, that’s the only thing that works in the end.”
