Some of the athletes are like the old wine – the older they get, the better they become. Melina Robert-Michon confirmed this phrase earlier this year, winning a silver Olympic medal in throwing a discus at the age of 37 years. This, for sure, is the best achievement in her career. But, it turned out that the medallist from different forums have something in her personal life to surprise with.
“I grew up on a farm, where I had little choice, but I learned a lot there. I remember that I helped my father milking the cows. Then, I learned how to drive a tractor. It wasn’t very difficult. My brother and I drove the tractor as it was child’s play for us,” the experienced sportsman said with a smile on her face.
She also said that she loves playing and watching handball: “I’m a fan of handball. I’ve played, so I understand the game and the rules and I like to follow the French national teams for men and women.”
No one has expected, but Robert-Michon managed to win the silver medal in Rio de Janeiro this summer, which will maybe remain the best achievement in her entire career. She even set a new national record with 66.73, which was the most crucial throw for the medal. The other remarkable competitions for her are the World Championship in Moscow 2013, when she won the silver again. Melina repeated it a year later in the European Championship in Zurich. However, she has won three competitions in her career – The European Athletics U23 Championship (Amsterdam 2001), European Cup Winter Throwing (Leiria 2014) and the Mediterranean Games (Pescara 2009).
So, that’s the story of a farm girl, who reached the biggest stage of the world sport, taking a part in the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro and winning a medal.