After growing up in France, Isabelle Collot was always a Volleyballer. This continued when she moved to Great Britain when she played as in the National Volleyball League. It was here she discovered Sitting Volleyball as the British teams prepared for their home Games back in 2012. After moving to Luxembourg to take up a role at CEV she focused on establishing the sport in her neighbouring home country. Isabelle is now on the board of ParaVolley Europe overseeing communications, and the board of FFVolley responsible for “Volley assis” as France prepares for their own home games – which will be Isabelle’s third Paralympic Games.
In the latest edition of our Mover & Shaker series, we asked her our standard five questions to dig into her thoughts and experiences.
1 – How did you get involved in Sitting Volleyball?
I attended the Sitting Volleyball Cup finals in 2009 and discovered the sport. Being a standing player with an injury, I was excited to be able to keep on playing volleyball albeit sitting.
2 – What is it that motivates you each day to further develop our sport?
The fact that the discipline can be played by all regardless of whether you are able-bodied or disabled and allows physically injured people to rebuild themselves through the practice of sport/sitting volleyball.
3 – What has been your biggest achievement in Sitting Volleyball to date?
Help implement sitting volleyball in France from practically nothing officially starting in 2017 to two running national competitions side by side (4×4 Challenge aimed at developing and 6×6 Championship aimed at performance) as well as have international competitions organised on French soil three years running
4 – How would you explain Sitting Volleyball to someone in 12 words or less?
Fun on your bum!
5 – Where/how do you see Sitting Volleyball in 10 years time?
Ideally, I would like to see sitting volleyball fully integrated in National Federations on the same level as the other volleyball disciplines (indoor, beach and snow).
The ‘Movers & Shakers’ initiative is aimed at giving more recognition to those that are developing Sitting Volleyball around the globe.
It can be anyone working in the sport, whether they have excelled at promoting it, ran a successful competition, started a new club/activity, organised events to increase awareness, influenced people for the greater benefit of the sport or a combination of the above.
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