Lou is a French athlete living in Bali who trains smart and races hard. Competing since 2015, he’s a seasoned athlete and this year he performed fantastically at both the Spartan World Champs and the OCRWC. His dedication to his training is admirable and his community spirit makes him a pleasure to see at every race and during his trips to Singapore!
Name: Lou Guenier
Age: 29
How did you first get in to OCR?
I used to do road races but started to be a bit bored by them. In 2015 the university I used to work for in France had a team building event for all the staff members at a Mud Day race, we did it as a group, just for the fun, and I loved it. Six months later there was a Spartan Race Super and the university was going again, I decided to do two rounds of the Super, one as elite and one as open with friends, on that race I qualified for the World Champs and a week later I was flying to the US for my first attendance of the Spartan World Championships. I’ve been hooked on it ever since.
What is your favourite race or OCR experience?I’d have to say that my favorite race is the Spartan World Championship, held in Tahoe. It is where all of the best athletes in the world come together to meet and it really is the opportunity to race against the best of the best. But, my favorite OCR experience is more the community, it is a very tight community that welcomes everyone. Everyone is competing every time during races but they still want every single person to perform to their best ability. Most of the athletes I race against are very dear friends and we all share tips and tricks on how to be faster and stronger.
Favourite obstacle?
Any monkey obstacles - anything where you have to swing.
Biggest achievement?
Having qualified and participated in 3 Spartan World Championships and placing top 50 of the elite this year as well as 36th of the OCRWC in London. Both of those races are on a terrain, altitude and temperature I’m not familiar with (I live in Bali where it’s always sunny and flat and these races are either in the mountains or in very muddy England with usually freezing temperatures).
OCR must have item?
If I had only one item I had to have for all the OCR races and training it would be the Irock shoes from VJSport, that’s why every time I travel to a race I take those in my carry on luggage.
Favourite post race snack?
Fresh fruits, as I race in Asia it’s probably something really fresh and watery like watermelon or mango.
When is your next race and why did you choose it?
My next race is in Vietnam and I chose it because it’s the first race of the SEA series.
What is your workout mantra / favourite saying when things get tough?
“All of your training, all of the hours you’ve dedicated to training, it was all for this, it was all for now"
