“I have always been sporty, so carrying the Olympic flame gives me great pleasure.
» At 102 years old, Mélanie Berger-Volle was chosen by the Loire department to be part of the Olympic relays on June 22.
The centenarian, who now resides in Saint-Étienne, will undoubtedly be one of the most applauded torchbearers.
Because in the Loire and especially Haute-Loire where she lived, she is an emblematic figure of the Resistance with her husband Lucien Volle, who died in 2012. Born in Vienna in Austria, Mélanie Berger has always maintained a link with her country of origin. 'origin.
His story is barely believable
: arriving in France at the age of 18 in 1939, after having hitchhiked across Germany, the young woman was sentenced to fifteen years of forced labor for “communist and anarchist activities.
» She was imprisoned at Baumettes in Marseille from where she escaped to join the Resistance.
It was during her return to Austria in 1957 that she met Lucien, a former resistance journalist.
" I have two loves "
During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Mélanie Berger-Volle will support both the French and Austrian teams.
“I have two loves,” she confides.
“We obviously love our roots, but I lived longer in France.
In my case, as in that of many refugees, we are between two chairs, not quite French and no longer quite Austrian.
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Very proud at the idea of carrying the Olympic flame, Mélanie Berger-Volle continues to talk despite her age: “I really liked handball.
» At 80, she still jumped rope and walked in the creeks, when she went to the south of France to practice naturism.
Not so long ago, the centenarian was still taking part in gym classes given in her senior residence: “I walk for at least an hour every day.
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