From biking to golf to scuba diving, Decathlon Singapore boss enjoys it all

GROWING up in France, I have always been exposed to and loved sports since a young age.

While I aspired to be an astronaut and then a fighter pilot when I was younger, I have found my dream job travelling the world playing different kinds of sports and making it my life's mission to make the pleasure and benefits of sports available to all.

I truly believe that there is an aspect of universality to playing sport; a kid's smile is the same when they ride their first bike, whether that is back in Europe or here in Asia.

Sport is an activity that transcends race, religion, age or gender. Whether it be individual or a group sport, it brings people together in a shared community.

This is why I try to inculcate the value of sport in our family bonding times.

I have been downhill skiing since the age of 3, an easy enough skill to pick up in the South of France where I come from, where there are mountains.

But since my move to China in 1998 and my subsequent postings to London, Berlin and now Singapore, I have taken up different types of sports that I can enjoy with my family.

When I was in Berlin as zone manager in Decathlon Germany, my 16-year-old son and I would ride our mountain bikes through the forests around the city every weekend to unwind.

Who needs playgrounds when the whole world is at your disposal? This is my preferred way to wind down and recharge so that I can be focused and dedicated when I am at my job.

I am also a keen scuba diver, but as you can imagine, this is not easy to practise in Berlin. I am originally from the South of France, so I like to take my kids diving whenever we return home.

I had missed the experience of diving at the great destinations in South-east Asia - from Tulamben in Bali to Koh Phi Phi in Thailand and the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia.

Now that I am in Singapore with limited access to diving spots, my wife and I swim 20 to 30 laps every evening, as we await the opportunity to travel again.

I do play a little bit of golf when I can, but mostly during my holidays, as it can be time-consuming.

It may seem like completely different sports, from mountains to forests to oceans to plains, but I really enjoy dabbling in various sports activities, trying my hand at new hobbies and discovering new interests such as learning to play the guitar (my biggest dream!), hiking the various natural parks in Singapore, and discovering new restaurants.

Once travel has fully opened, I am definitely taking my family biking and diving, and doing all the things we love doing again.

Aside from sport, one hobby of ours plays a key role in keeping fit - cooking.

Staying healthy is a holistic endeavour as what you eat defines who you are. We never eat ready-made meals; we prepare from fresh ingredients, almost exclusively organic.

Aside from being more sustainable and healthier, we enjoy experimenting with different recipes from France and from the rest of the world, notably from Asia.

Some of our top favourites at home include traditional French dishes like beef bourguignon, Indian lentil dahls, breads and brioches, and various Asian curries.

The belief that sports is for everyone is extended through my work at Decathlon, to develop sport and to make the pleasure and benefits of sport accessible to everyone, from professional athletes to amateur first-timers.

Every smile on our customer's face when they play a sport is an achievement on our part. I would love to see the joy sports has brought my family, in other families alike.

Stephan Veyret, 48, is managing director of Decathlon Singapore.