Accountant by day, elite athlete by night? This woman makes it happen!

Combining elite-level sport with a career as an accountant? For Hélène Connart, it’s daily reality. By day, she works as an accountant at PIA office at Brussels; by night, she shines in the ring as a high-level kickboxer. A challenge? Definitely. Impossible? Absolutely not. With a rock-solid mindset and tight planning, Hélène proves that ambition knows no limits.

Hélène chose accountancy out of her interest in business management. ‘It was not a passion per se, but I knew it was a sector with many opportunities,’ she says. What attracts her most? Solving problems, coming up with smart optimisations and really helping clients move forward. ‘That gives me enormous satisfaction.’

Combining a full-time job with an intensive training schedule requires discipline and perseverance. ‘I train every day. In preparation for a competition, it goes up to 15 hours a week, otherwise I'm around 10 to 12 hours.’ That means planning well and making conscious choices. ‘My social life is sometimes on the back burner, but I get so much energy from both my work and my sport that it is perfectly combinable,’ Hélène explains.

Elite sport and accountancy have more in common than you might think. ‘In both worlds, you have to be precise, organised and driven,’ she says. The mental strength Hélène developed in sport helps her in her work. ‘In the ring, you learn to stay calm under pressure. That mindset also helps me when deadlines approach or work pressure increases.’

The biggest challenge? ‘In both worlds you have to perform, but there are only 24 hours in a day. Sport demands a lot physically, but as an accountant you have to stay mentally sharp. It is searching for balance, but I know what I am doing it for,’ says Hélène.

Both the accountancy sector and the martial arts world were traditionally dominated by men. Yet Hélène sees times changing. ‘In both sectors, you see more and more women. It is a matter of time before this completely tilts.’

Barriers she has not really experienced herself. ‘In the boxing world, I was the first woman in my club. That did get attention, but I was always taken seriously.’ What touches her most is how her story inspires other women. ‘I have helped girls get out of a negative spiral of insecurity or eating disorders. Being able to give them self-confidence is worth its weight in gold,’ beams Hélène.

For Hélène, winning is not the end goal, but a confirmation of her hard work. ‘In the ring, a win is a nice reward, but then I immediately think: what is the next challenge?’ She also uses this attitude in her job. ‘Closing an annual account successfully? Nice, but how can we do even better next year?’

Hélène's professional priority is clear: satisfied clients. ‘I don't need to become the greatest expert, but I want to do my job well,’ she says. In time, she wants to specialise in a specific field, but she is keeping that open for after her sports career.

In the ring, her goal is set: a world title in English boxing. ‘I have been world kickboxing champion twice, but never before has a female Belgian won that title in English boxing. I want to change that.’

Her advice to women hesitating between work and passion? ‘Anything is possible with good organisation. People often ask me how I keep it up, but it's just a matter of planning and doing what you really want.’

And her ultimate advice? ‘Go for it. The pain of failure is nothing compared to the regret of never trying. Better to take on a challenge and fail, than to ask yourself ‘what if’.’