Port-Cros National Park Ivrith Valli, instructor To Sea Porquerolles – Monitrice

Ivrith Valli arrived on the island of Porquerolles in 2005 at the age of 8, and spent the first 7 years of her life in Switzerland, where she was born.

" My mother and I were supposed to stay for a year, but we never left. She went to school on the island until CM2, then to collège and lycée in Hyères, before leaving for 4 months in première, to learn Italian as part of a European exchange program. It has to be said that traveling is part of her DNA. " We used to travel a lot with my parents, backpacking, sailing...". She took her first sailing lessons with her schoolteacher, then at college, before joining the ^COYCH1 competition section.

I started competing at the age of 12 in dinghies, then I took part in a number of regattas at national level in kites, and internationally in catamarans and cruisers. Then I met Ariane ^Imbert2, head of the Pôle Espoir Kite surf at Costebelle high school.

She joined the center and, at the age of 17, with a literary baccalaureate in her pocket, she began working as a trainer's assistant. " But my goal was to open a sailing school on my island, so I enrolled for a STAPS degree at La Garde ". The status of top-level sportswoman enables her to continue competing and traveling. She completed her training with a diploma in mental preparation for sportspeople... and then confinement arrived: " No more compèt' or travel, I said to myself 'it's time '". With the authorization of the National Park, she started her business in 2020 on La Courtade beach, on a small catamaran.

I used to take children in groups of 4, and things just exploded right away. My initial philosophy, which remains the same, was to welcome individuals or small groups, in a human-sized structure, with a particular focus on local children, Porquerollais and all those who love the island. I wanted to open all year round, but without changing rooms the children are too cold in winter, so I operate from Easter to All Saints' Day.

Each year, she develops new activities, and in 2023, she begins a partnership with Mas du Langoustier, where she sets up a small base to work with the agreement of the National Park from Plage Noire. Here, she offers catamaran lessons, paddle rentals and hikes, as well as palm-water hikes and sea outings. All these activities are now marked Esprit Parc National.

I was looking for visual aids to raise environmental awareness on my outings, and that's how I came across the brand. For me, working with the National Park is an obvious choice, because we share the same way of looking at life and doing everything we can with the means at our disposal to make people aware of the need to respect the exceptional nature that surrounds us. Ever since I was a little girl, I've been in close contact with the National Park staff, whose passion and commitment I appreciate. I admire their commitment, which helps islanders to see their island in a different light. Today, it's my turn to try and pass on the message to the people I welcome. This brand is important to me because it makes my commitment to quality visible, but it's also a marker of the attention I pay to nature in everything I do. I'm happy to be able to benefit from some very interesting training courses and also to join a network of passionate people. It means a lot to me to be able to share with people whose interests are not just financial, and who are committed to enhancing the value of their environment in order to better protect it.

1. Cercle d'Organisation du Yachting de Compétition Hyérois

2. World kite surfing champion and creator of the Spot Kite Center in Hyères.