Marie Rocamora: when the grace of rhythmic gymnastics meets pharmacy studies

A second-year pharmacy student, 20-year-old Marie Rocamora practices rhythmic gymnastics at the highest national level. Between balls, clubs, and study, she reveals the secrets of her success.

Reconciling high-level sport and studies: the art of organization

For Marie, juggling daily training with pharmacy classes is a real organizational challenge. This student trains every evening except Sundays and Tuesdays at the Montpellier GRS club.

"Sometimes it's hard," says Marie, who had to make the difficult choice of temporarily stopping gymnastics during her PASS year. "In November, I realized it was no longer possible, and I said, Okay, I'm taking a break." A courageous decision that allowed her to succeed during this demanding year.

Today, she has found her organizational balance. Sports have become an ally in her studies, forcing her to stay organized and optimize her work time. For its part, the faculty offers adapted arrangements, including changing series in the event of a competition, making up for missed classes, or even bringing forward the mandatory internship period.

Sports performance: excellence in the service of passion

Marie competes at the highest French level, practicing in the National 18+ category individually and National Division 1 as a group.

Having started at the age of six after watching the World Championships in Montpellier, her passion led her to the 2019 French Championships in Reims where she achieved two perfect runs which opened the doors to the National A level.

"I would describe rhythmic gymnastics as a mix of flexibility, technique, and the elegance found in classical dance," she explains of this discipline, which uses five apparatus: a ball, clubs, a ribbon, a hoop, and a rope.

Advice to future student athletes: “Don’t give up on sport”

Marie's message is clear for future student athletes: don't give up on your passion. She emphasizes the complementarity between sports and pharmacy studies, considering sports as a real asset.

His secret? "It's organization, the discipline you impose on yourself." A discipline that allows him to stay on top of his classmates who have more free time.