For Valentin Fourcadier, it all comes down to desire and vision. His desire: to excel in a competitive sport, to go up against able-bodied rivals on the handball court, and, in winter, to strap on his prosthesis and snowboard during family holidays in the mountains. Valentin inherited that grit from his sports-mad father. His vision—“to imagine and design the things people use every day”—comes from his mother, who encouraged him to explore the amazing arts and culture just a short train ride away in Paris. Posters of objects designed by Philippe Starck hanging in his school as a young teen confirmed his calling: he would be a designer.

At the same time, he made the Hauts-de-Seine handball team, playing alongside able-bodied teammates despite his fibular hemimelia and moving closer to his dream of elite competition. But a coach eventually cut him from the squad—it was not to be.

Valentin saw the decision as unfair but overcame the setback through mental toughness that only strengthened his resolve. He put that determination to work in an environment every bit as challenging: university studies in industrial design. With a top-level design degree in hand, he was pursuing a master’s in industrial design and innovation when, watching the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games, he decided to pivot to parasports and prove his doubters wrong.  

In October 2023 he boldly sent videos of his snowboarding performances to the French Parasport Federation (FFH). “The national para-snowboarding coach, Yannis Dole, saw my potential and invited me to train with the team,” he recalls. And in 2024, his first season, his hustle started to pay off. During the final year of his master’s, Valentin juggled classes, life in Paris and weekend training in the Alps. But it was all coming together. He placed 5^th in a Europa Cup banked slalom competition and 3^rd at the French national championships.

Financial challenges threatened Valentin’s second season: “My travel expenses came out of money earned through work-study jobs, but my first real sponsors were my parents,” he admits. Family support proved vital—a full season of competition can cost between €20,000 and €40,000. Without backing, Valentin competed during the 2024-2025 season using a worn walking prosthesis ill-suited to his sport. 

Yet these obstacles could not hold him back. He brought home Europa Cup medals, joined the French national team, and ended the season ranked 3^rd overall in the Europa Cup table. Those results secured funding from the French Parasport Federation. “It was enough to get by on,” he says, “but not enough to make me financially independent. I had to move back in with my parents.”

As Valentin began climbing the European para-snowboarding ranks, competing with a walking prosthesis held him back. “The carbon-fibre and fibreglass blade kept breaking. I asked my prosthetic clinic to adjust the angle, but we were just winging it,” he says. That’s when he decided to put his design chops to work improving his gear. An industry specialist noticed his work and together they developed a prosthesis tailored to his foot. “I showed them 3D models of my ideas and they were sold. We dialled in the blade’s stiffness, the padding, made adjustments—and produced three prototypes.”

Both the manufacturer and Valentin want to share these advances with amputee athletes: “We want to take all the lessons we’ve learned from my prosthesis and translate them into equipment for the wider public to lower the price of this expensive gear and make it more accessible.” 
Now better equipped and making steady progress, Valentin ended the 2025-2026 season ranked 2nd in the Europa Cup overall classification. That result opens the door to World Cup competition and the dream of qualifying for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics.

This remarkable athlete doesn’t hide his ambitions: “Long term, I want medals at the World Championships, in World Cup events and above all at the 2030 Paralympic Games in the French Alps.” Joining the SNCF Athletes programme as Assistant Project Manager for Operations and Environmental Representative at the Alps Infrapôle maintenance centre in Chambéry is step one.

“It’s more than a job. I was amazed by how quickly SNCF took an interest in me. They worked around my training schedule, and found a position where my seven years of design and project management studies are an asset,” he says. “SNCF went all out to put my talents to good use. It’s immensely gratifying to be part of a company like this.” He adds: “It takes me back to my school days, sketching ideas for sleeper trains. 90% of my travel for snowboarding is by train—it just makes sense.” 

“And now that I’m based in the Alps, it’s wild to think that some of the projects I’ll be working on will help France prepare for the 2030 Paralympic Games—where I might be competing.”