Isabelle Severino

About Isabelle Severino

Isabelle Severino was born in 1980 in Paris. At the age of 7, she participated as a dancer in performances by a Gypsy troupe at the Olympia. She later joined the “petits rats de l’Opéra” in Paris. She spent six years at the Stanlova course – Salle Pleyel, before opting for high-level gymnastics.

While training at INSEP, Isabelle Severino became the Junior European Champion on the uneven bars in 1994. The following year, she became the French champion in the all-around competition and participated in her first World Championships. In 1996, she was the French champion and won the bronze medal on the uneven bars at the Senior World Championships. She thus became the first Frenchwoman to win a world medal on this apparatus. She was also qualified for the Atlanta Olympic Games the same year, ranking 13th in the all-around and 8th in the team competition.

After several finals at the European and World Championships, she ended her elite gymnastics career in 1998 following a knee injury. She then participated for a year in a Cirque du Soleil show in the United States, “La Nouba,” in Orlando, Florida, combining acrobatics and dance in her performances. She later joined a sports aerobics team formed by former gymnast friends and became the world team vice-champion with them in 2003.

After not training in gymnastics for 4 years, she announced her return to high-level artistic gymnastics in 2003 at an age when most female gymnasts have ended their careers. In 2004, at 24, she qualified for the Athens Olympic Games where she finished 6th in the team competition, a team she captained. In 2005, she became the European floor champion. In 2008, she suffered an Achilles tendon rupture. Despite this, in 2011, after an operation on her Achilles tendon and ankle and a 3-year break, she participated with her club team in the French national division championships and finished as the French vice-champion with her team.

Isabelle Severino has successfully managed a high-level sports career alongside several other professional activities.

A career as an artist, first of all. In 1994, she recorded a song, “Demain ou après-demain,” an anthem for childhood and world peace. In 2002, she played the second female role in an operetta by Rodolphe Friml, “Rose Marie,” directed by Frédéric L’Huillier, in which she performed three solo dances. The operetta was performed throughout France. In 2005, she was the gymnastic double for the lead actress in a Walt Disney film, “Stick It.”

A modeling career, as well. Isabelle Severino has been a model on several occasions: in 1995 for Elle magazine; in 1996 on the cover of Figaro Madame and for the Haribo campaign; in 2000 for Herve Lewis (official photographer for Aubade campaigns); in 2001 for Photo Alto and for the Société Générale advertising campaign.

A businesswoman career followed: since January 1, 2000, Isabelle Severino has been managing her communication company specializing in the arts and graphic design, Arts et Conceptions.

A radio host career, finally. In 2008, Isabelle was a consultant for France Télévision and Europe 1 during the gymnastics events at the Beijing Olympic Games. The same year, she hosted her own show, “Severino and co,” on Europe 1 alongside Pierre Fulla, Roger Zabel, and Dominique Grimault. In 2012, she was a consultant for France Télévision and RMC during the London Olympic Games.

In addition to all this, Isabelle has been the patron of the association “Un maillot pour la vie” since 2002, alongside rugby player Fabien Pelous. In 2008, she became a member of the executive committee of the French Gymnastics Federation. The following year, she was elected co-president with David Douillet of the High-Level Athletes Commission within the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), a committee of which she became vice-president. In 2011, she was promoted, for her sports career and service to the French state, to Knight of the National Order of Merit. Finally, on March 6, 2012, she was appointed by decree as an associate personality to the Economic, Social and Environmental Council.