Jean-Pierre, ski instructor in Les Menuires

I was born at the foot of the Pyrenees, in a family that had no particular attachment to skiing. But as a young boy, I was already very sporty. I started skiing on a school trip, the school took us skiing every Wednesday afternoon. Little by little, I really got the taste for skiing.

When I was a student, I was an animator in a vacation village, especially in a resort, and that's when I really said to myself, "This is what I want to do, this is where I want to live in winter." So from that point on, I worked hard to get my instructor's diploma. I taught for a few seasons in the Pyrenees, and soon I went to the Alps. In this job, there is also the advantage of being outside all the time. This is something very important to me.

I alternated between different stations for 7 years, then I took a break. I did a lot of other jobs, I even went to live in North America, in Canada in particular.

I didn't think I would come back, and finally I did. And I said to myself that I was going to go back to skiing, because once you have tasted the pleasure of skiing, you can't do without it. Plus, I love teaching, I really have a passion for passing on my knowledge.

The most beautiful thing in this job is to take a student at the beginning of the week who says "I'm not going to make it", and at the end of the week he thanks you so much because he says "I can ski". And if one day that child skis and falls in love with the snow and the mountains, then I will be proud to say that it is a little bit thanks to me.

The students know how to give it back to you. They are happy at the end of the week.

There are two salaries in teaching, there is the financial salary of course, but there is also the salary that allows you to keep the flame alive and to be happy in the morning, when you know that you will make people happy.