Louis Beaubois made history last year alongside Teiva Politi, when they became the first juniors from Tahiti to compete at the BWF World Junior Championships 2019.
The recently turned 18-year-old has every intention of competing again this year as the event descends on neighbouring country, New Zealand, from 28 September.
Beaubois made a name for himself in 2019 when he defeated more experienced players from Australia and New Zealand in the VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships 2019, the same year that his older compatriot, Remi Rossi, finished runner-up in the open equivalent.
Five months later, the pair stood next to each other on the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games podium as Beaubois claimed a bronze medal to accompany Rossi’s gold.
Little did he know what the badminton scene would look like less than a year later, halted by a global pandemic in the name of COVID-19.
However, for a player training on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Beaubois was well equipped for the situation.
In the current climate where digital disruption is the answer for athletes looking to stay on top of fitness from home, learning from the internet has often been the norm for players from the Pacific.
“I watch men’s singles on YouTube, particularly Kento Momota as he is a very smart player – I like his game and strategy. It’s important for me to watch badminton, you can learn a lot this way,” said Louis.
Similarly, at the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games, we heard from the Northern Marianas team who rely on YouTube for all of their coaching needs.
Meanwhile, backed up by experiences from previous Badminton Oceania-led development camps and shared wisdom of other players, Louis was backed by a wealth of knowledge and motivation to resume training while the world goes into lock down; all the while surrounded by the beauty of Tahiti.
“I run in the morning and focus on speed before working to improve my agility and coordination by doing some taping and ladder exercises. I train my upper body too, with some weight exercises and for finish a lot cladding exercises and abs.”
“I think it is easier to train in Tahiti with the landscape and peace of the island, especially as it is warm.”
“But motivation is only in your brain, you have to take control of it and remember why you are doing that.”
“I look forward to competing again in New Zealand this year because learning and experience is the key to success,” added Louis.
All players are invited to share their badminton activities during isolation online using the hashtag #BadmintonAtHome.
If you are looking for some inspiration on activities to do in the household, even if the equipment is not available, check out these adapted Shuttle Time exercises.