Amelie Guihur : A French Judoka Champion, Sports Coach In Sofia

Amélie Guihur

You have certainly heard of her before. Amelie Guihur is an European vice-champion in combat. Linving in Sofia for one year, she has also become one of the favorite sports coaches of the local and international community. What’s more about the pretty Breton ?

27-year-old, Amelie Guihur is a champion in combat, a high level athlete. She has obtained many titles and won many victories. Among them, she is Champion of France Juniors (2013) and Seniors (2015) and Vice-Champion of Europe Juniors (2012). She is also Bulgarian Judo (2021) and Sambo (2020) Champion and Vice-Champion in 2021.

For sure, the young champion also seems to have a lot of human values and unlimited energy. she is particularly committed to the animal cause and often shares her actions on her facebook page. 100% French, Amelie Guihur has lived for 1 year in Bulgaria, in Sofia, a country where she feels good.

Comfortable in English, she is learning Bulgarian even if she recognizes that it is not an easy language to master. Besides her competitions, Amelie launched herself into the creation of a judo group for young and old, Franco-Bulgarian in the stadium of Lokomotiv in Sofia. She is also a an individual sports coach for the French and international community in Sofia. The Bulgarians also call on her to get back on top physically. Very interested in her background and her personality, Amelie Guihur has also a lot of projects in Bulgaria. We wanted to know more about her. She answered our questions:

Where did you grow up?

Amelie : I am Breton, my family is located in Ille et Vilaine and Morbihan. I can’t really say that I grew up there, having left my family at 13 to enter a high-level structure. So I moved around a lot, 3 years in Rennes, 3 years in Bordeaux and then the Paris region (the Olympic center: INSEP, Champigny sur Marne (my 1st Parisian club) and also Ste Geneviève des Bois (my last club of judo).

Amelie Guihur, you are a judo champion. Tell us a bit about your passion / discipline.

Amelie : I did a lot of sports when I was little before doing judo. I was very active (gymnastics, cycling, horse riding). My father had done judo when he was young, he had loved the sport. Therefore he suggested that I try. I immediately hooked up from the first training session. It was in a small club in Morbihan, and I was the only girl, but that didn’t bother me. I started judo at the age of 11 and it was very fast, since 2 years later I returned in sport-study.

It is a combat sport which is well developed and known in France. But this is not the case here in Bulgaria. And this is also one of my challenges, to develop my group of Franco-Bulgarian judokas here in Sofia. I love competition and I must admit that the training part is not what I prefer but it is the most important if you want medals. My little phrase to motivate me : « difficult training, easy competitions ». I love the adrenaline before the fight, the confrontation, the surpassing of oneself during the fight.

« Difficult training, easy competitions »

Amelie Guihur

You have competed in France and Bulgaria. Are things different in Bulgaria ?

Amelie : Yes, I represented the French judo team for several years (France, Europe, World). I am Champion of France Juniors (2013) and Seniors (2015) and Vice-Champion of Europe Juniors. (2012) I am also Bulgarian Judo (2021) and Sambo (2020) Champion and Vice-Champion in 2021. Sambo is a sport which is a mixture of wrestling and judo. I had never done it before to come here to Bulgaria. It was really to try, for the pleasure. I do not want to denigrate the level of Bulgaria, but I must admit that it is different from the French level. There is less competition, especially among women. Judo has yet to develop here.

What lessons have you learned and continue to learn everyday ?

Amelie : That you have to know how to bounce back in life. We must not stop at each failure, on the contrary. Fall 7 times, get up 8 times. If you have dreams, you have to put everything in place to achieve them, regardless of the weather, the sacrifices, etc. After major championships, tournaments abroad, I have come back without a medal. What a huge disappointment, after months of training, sacrifices, weeks of diet, etc., but that doesn’t mean you have to give up everything. Set yourself another challenge and move on.

What other sport do you do ? (perhaps on a more occasional basis) ?

Amelie : At the moment, I put on the kimono from time to time for fun, I try to keep in physical condition (running, bodybuilding, strengthening, etc.). I stay in sport by being a judo teacher and sports coach, this is the most important for me.

What are your projects in this area ?

Amelie : I want to develop my home sports coaching and my Franco-Bulgarian judo group within the Lokomotiv Sofia club.

How did you discovered Bulgaria ?

Amelie : I have been there for almost 1 year now, the first months I visited, I trained, etc. before launching myself into the creation of a judo group for young and old, Franco-Bulgarian in the stadium of Lokomotiv in Sofia. I then embarked on home sports coaching for French speakers.

So, you are also a sports coach in Sofia (we can’t wait to do a session with you). How is it going ?

Amelie : With great pleasure for a session, when you want. 🙂 Coachings last 1 hour minimum sometimes 1 hour 15 minutes depending on the sessions. I have French people, Bulgarians (so I do in English sometimes), a Polish woman who speaks French. But mainly French. I move to the place chosen by the person (home, work, parks, etc.) or I have recently offered video sessions. People can contact me through Facebook or Instagram (AG_EV_Coaching or Amélie Guihur).

Amelie Guihur Champion and individual sports coach in Sofia Bulgaria

I would be there to help them, motivate and advise them on a daily basis to achieve their goals. I adapt to each one, because everyone has a different profile. The sessions are progressive. You must not believe, because I was a high level athlete, I coach for high level athletes. Not at all, I really adapt (weight loss, back pain, maintenance, etc.)

You must not believe, because I was a high level athlete, I coach for high level athletes. Not at all, I really adapt (weight loss, back pain, maintenance, etc.)

Amelie Guihur

What do you like the most in Bulgaria ? and in Sofia ?

Amelie : It would be easier to ask what I don’t like because there is less to say. haha I love the landscapes, all the things to visit, to see without 3000 tourists, the nature, the cuisine, the mentality. Bulgarian people are on the whole adorable when I say that I am French and they see me trying to speak Bulgarian correctly. People are welcoming.

You are very focused on nutrition. What is the Bulgarian dish that you think is the most balanced for an athlete or someone who wants to be careful what he eats ?

Amelie : I find that Bulgarians still eat a lot of vegetables. They really like salads at the start of a meal, for example. The problem here is the quantities and the fact that people eat at the time they want. It’s not like in France where we eat at fixed times. I love peppers stuffed with rice and meat with tomato sauce (but you must not eat 5).

What is the absolutely forbidden food ?

Amelie : Anything that is too sweet and too salty, but I would say for example Baklava is really fatty. After that depends on what time of day you eat it and whether you are active before or after. You have to know how to have fun.

What is your favorite restaurant in Sofia ?

Amelie : The Sense restaurant at the top of the hotel in the center of Sofia with a view of Alexander Nevsky.

What are your next projects ?

Amelie : As I said before, to further develop coaching and the Franco-Bulgarian club. Visit the country some more and improve my Bulgarian.

Thank you Amelie Guihur 😉

Picture @justine P

Madame Bulgaria is a webzine launched in June 2016 in English. Its aim is to show to the world how Bulgaria is a very nice country, full of potential. We cover all kind of topics – Lifestyle, Culture, Places, Food, People, Tourism, Beauty, Fashion, Business, Ecosystem, and More. We try to be as objective as possible. Madame Bulgaria crew works every week to offer a new, fresh and dynamic content on Bulgaria.

Marie Pietrzak

Founder & Editorial Director

Marie is the founder of Madame Bulgaria. She fell in love with Bulgaria when she came for the first time for a weekend in 2012.

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Madame Bulgaria is a webzine proposing attractives contents about Bulgaria. We write stories of Lifestyle, Culture, Places, Food, People, Tourism, Beauty, Fashion, Business, Ecosystem, and More.