Kimmy Repond: “I want to keep skating as long as possible, but definitely until 2027. Later, I’d like to study medicine.”
Kimmy Repond aims to continue skating until 2027 before studying medicine.
original source: sirocco.ch
Swiss figure skater Kimmy Repond credits her family, discipline, and love of music for her success and aims to continue skating until 2027 before studying medicine. Here’s a translation.
“The Swiss newspaper “Blick” calls her a “Swiss prodigy,” and the “NZZ” counts her among the “world’s best figure skaters.” Now, 19-year-old Kimmy Repond stands at the edge of Basel’s St. Jakob Arena as the ice master polishes the rink to a shine. She poses for the photographer. Shortly after, she answers questions in the ice stadium café over a cup of tea (her favorite: Moroccan mint.)
Kimmy Repond says her parents gave her an important message early on – one she took with her onto the ice: “If you do something, do it right!” It was never about performance, but about making an effort. Her journey as a sports talent began at age four, when she tried swimming (“too cold”), rhythmic gymnastics (“too difficult”), and finally figure skating. Looking back, she says it was the element of music that made the difference. Kimmy, who also plays piano, enjoyed the blend of strength, elegance, and rhythm that defines her sport.
If you look for reasons behind her success, one explanation is that Kimmy Repond never found figure skating – where falls are part of daily life – frustrating. “I definitely fell more often at the beginning, but it never took away my joy,” she says. Fourteen years after her first steps on skates, the 19-year-old is part of the Swiss delegation for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. She has already won the 2023 European bronze medal, placed fifth at the 2024 World Championships, and claimed two consecutive Swiss national titles in 2024 and 2025. She was nominated for “Best Newcomer” at the 2024 ISU Skating Awards and won international competitions like the 2022 Budapest Trophy and the silver medal at the 2023 Nebelhorn Trophy.
Another key to her impressive record, alongside discipline and what Kimmy calls a “fundamentally very positive attitude,” is her family: her sister Jeromie was a multiple Swiss junior champion and is now her coach. Another sister, Sidonie, is a trained sports psychologist and provides mental coaching: “She’s at almost every competition. If she sees something’s wrong, she steps in. Sometimes I’m stressed, and all it takes is a good word to help me refocus,” Kimmy explains. There’s also a fourth sister: eleven-year-old Caline, who is also a figure skating talent. Healthy ways of handling disappointment, strong family bonds, and the ability to focus at the right moment are the pillars of Kimmy Repond’s career. “I’ve always been able to focus very well,” she says. With a refreshing clarity, she outlines her future: “I want to keep skating as long as possible, but definitely until 2027. Later, I’d like to study medicine.” She has already completed the necessary A-Levels under the British system.
To make all this possible, she follows a few simple rules: dangerous sports like skiing are off-limits, and before competitions – especially in winter – she avoids crowds. Kimmy likes to relax in a spa or spend time at home, activities that help her unwind between multiple daily training sessions. Music plays an important role in all of this. To get into rhythm before a competition, “I like to listen to Eminem or other hip-hop music.” Afterwards, she switches to Ed Sheeran or Billie Eilish. “That’s a bit more chill,” she says before heading to the gym.”
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