All that remains is to take the plunge.
Arthur Germain, 19, is convinced that he can complete his incredible challenge.
From this Sunday, the one who has already crossed the Channel when he was only 16 years old will swim daily for about fifteen kilometers in the Seine, descending the latter from its source in the Côte d'Or to its mouth. in La Manche, at Le Havre.
An adventure that he will share daily on his website.
Everything is ready for Anne Hidalgo's son… or almost.
“I'm still into it,” says the young man.
I've been itching for two months.
I feel ready because I know the course by heart.
Of course, I expect the unexpected, even though I have prepared everything thoroughly.
In my head, a lot of things are intertwined, it's a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
So I try to channel all that a little!
"
Arthur Germain, who will make his journey in total autonomy, has left nothing to chance.
Since last October, he has been training almost every day, solo in the pool and also in the river with the 60 kg kayak that he will have to pull and in which will be his things to bivouac.
“I listen to my body a lot, without neglecting the mental aspect.
I went through several phases of reflection, such as managing loneliness, in addition to that with the administrations.
"
D-3: We start to make the bags 💪🏼 My food will be 70% oilseeds and dried fruits secs #laseinealanage pic.twitter.com/uS1dMc1Uiz
- Arthur Germain (@ArthurG_H) June 3, 2021
When he embarked on this business a year ago, Arthur Germain knew that not all authorizations would be easy to obtain.
The vast majority of the 164 neighboring municipalities have joined its ecological project, which aims to make as many people as possible aware of water and nature.
“Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over half a century.
It is only used to transport goods and evacuate waste.
We had to be very inventive to get past the wall of the French administration… ”
Without authorization in the Eure, in Rouen or… in Paris
And then there are the reluctant, like Paris, Rouen, and the entire department of Eure. To date, no crossing has yet been finalized in these places: “Of course, this is a concern that will have to be resolved,” says the man who discovered swimming at the age of four. Yet that does not affect my determination. I will still pass as planned, I do not believe for a single moment that I will be arrested. There is no point in them doing it. "
On the side of the capital, the trend is even towards conciliation. In the company of Matthieu Witvoet, who launched the “Zero butt” operation, Arthur took the time to convince the responsible administrations, which do not depend on town halls: “I was explicitly told that it would make everyone want to jump into the river! I was also made to understand that my file was not of common interest. In short, how to swim in the absurd ...
We understood it: Arthur Germain did not need the help of Anne Hidalgo. Self-taught in everything he undertakes, he would not have accepted it anyway: “I have my own approach, nothing to prove and no account to render. My goal is not to be famous, but for my awareness project to reach as many people as possible. I have been used to criticism and negative remarks since I was little. I can't stop people from talking and imagining what they want. Some people hide behind pseudonyms on social media, but the people I meet in real life know who I really am. "
