Pierre Gruneberg
Pierre Gruneberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | Peter Grüneberg 6 March 1931 |
| Died | 4 June 2023 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation(s) | Ski instructor Swimming instructor |
Pierre Gruneberg (born Peter Grüneberg, 6 March 1931 – 4 June 2023) was a German-born French ski and swimming instructor. He was notably the husband of actress Silvia Monfort.
Biography
[edit]Born in Cologne on 6 March 1931, Gruneberg had German Jewish parents. The family fled to France during World War II.[1] Although his father was a lawyer and his mother was a schoolteacher, he followed his passion of sports. He became an instructor at the École du ski français in 1950 and accompanied the French team as a physiotherapist at the 1956 Summer Olympics.[2] He then worked as both a ski and swimming instructor.
In 1966, Gruneberg introduced the concept of evolutionary skiing to France, in which beginners would use short skis. In the summer, he would work as a lifeguard for the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat.[3][4] At the beginning of the 1960s, he met Silvia Monfort, whom he started dating in 1963.[5] However, the couple did not get married until 24 May 1990. Monfort died on 30 March 1991. In 1996, he founded the Association Prix Silvia Monfort.
Pierre Gruneberg died on 4 June 2023, at the age of 92.[6]
Books
[edit]- Ski court, ski long en 10 leçons et tout pour skier de A à Z (1972)
- Nager en 10 leçons et tout pour être dans le bain de A à Z (1974)
- La Natation (1978)
References
[edit]- ^ "Swimming instructor to the stars on the French Riviera". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ "Montagne. Pierre Gruneberg, maître-nageur et moniteur des stars à Courchevel, est décédé". www.ledauphine.com (in French). 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ Belcher, Ian (21 June 2019). "Postcard from . . . the Côte d'Azur: the 88-year-old swim coach". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ Rozzo, Mark (2018-02-02). "Swim Instructor to the Stars, Pierre Gruneberg, Has No Plans to Retire His Speedos". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ "BBC Radio 3 - Between the Ears, Singing, Not Drowning". BBC. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ Bekkache, Carine (5 June 2023). "Maître-nageur des stars, célèbre figure de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat... Pierre Gruneberg s'est éteint à l'âge de 92 ans". Nice-Matin (in French). Nice. Retrieved 15 June 2023.