When he made his discreet arrival at the Junior World Championships in 2012, Dylan Chellamootoo had never taken part in an international tournament. “I hadn’t done any Open events, not even in France. Not one. I knew no one. And everyone wondered who I was,” says Dylan, who grew up in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, a town north-west of Paris where he was a member of the Cergy club. But he soon made a name for himself—and surprised everyone by reaching the finals. 

At age 7, young Dylan had opted for taekwondo rather than football, drawn by its more family-oriented atmosphere. His coach at the time was Ludovic Vo, who instilled in him a taste for effort and perseverance—the hallmarks of great athletes. By age 13, Vo was urging his pupil to stick with the sport, and the sport’s top echelon began beckoning to the young prodigy.

Four years on, Dylan moved up to the Seniors category and finished second in the French Championship when he was just 17.

To pursue his brilliant career in taekwondo while looking ahead to the security of a professional future in his “life after sport”, Dylan joined the SNCF Athletes Prgramme in September 2019. Since then, he’s divided his time between Paris-Austerlitz station and training.

“Joining SNCF was the very best thing that could happen to an athlete like me,” says Dylan today. “It’s not just the contract and the job security. Beyond the support we get in competitions and the seminars that let us network with other athletes, the programme offers something extra. Truly. It’s why I want to promote SNCF’s image when I compete; it’s why I’m aiming for the top spot on the podium.”

“I feel the same buzz in my assistant manager role at Paris-Austerlitz station. I love the adrenalin that goes with the job: being totally in the moment, at all times and on all fronts, managing situations that arise at the station. I want to build a career here. SNCF offers many opportunities, and I want to move up the ranks. I’ll definitely do what I can to end up in a senior role or as station manager.”