This May 1, you take part in a "swimrun" race in the Gorges du Verdon. Over 48 kilometres, you will alternate swimming and running in support of the fight against pancreatic cancer with the ARC Foundation. Do you miss overtaking?
I want to give meaning to physical exercise.
I was a competitor for many years for my country.
Now I want to help causes close to my heart.
This race consists of hurting yourself, exhausting yourself to touch people, so that they think that research against cancer is a fight that deserves efforts that they can support at their level with fundraising.
8 kilometers of swimming and 40 kilometers of running… it's worthy of the labors of Hercules. You, the former champion, did you train a lot?
It is necessary, because it is a little more than a marathon (only
42 km of race
).
I may have some leftovers in swimming, it needs to be prepared!
I mostly prepared for long-distance running because that's not my forte.
But I'm not fooled, swimming will also be difficult because the water is at 15 degrees…much colder than Olympic swimming pools!
And then, it's a race that takes place in pairs, connected by a 4-meter rope.
It is also a collective adventure!
Why did you choose this cause: the fight against cancer?
Unfortunately, like everyone else, I came to know this disease through my relatives who were bruised by this disease.
My wife recently had cancer and had her second breast removed as a preventive measure.
My grandfather died of cancer that started with pancreatic cancer.
You have spent your life overcoming hardship through effort - to the heights. How do you live next to a sick person? Is there a feeling of helplessness?
However, we are very useful!
That's what I learned with my wife's battle.
Of course, we have the impression of being useless, but we are one of the legs of the stool.
There is this feeling of being useless, but if we are taken away, everything collapses.
You just have to be present to maintain the balance.
We must absolutely not minimize the role of the person who accompanies.
It is an invisible, but essential position.
More broadly, by mobilizing for this cause, do you think you will make up for the lack of resources invested by the State in research?
France is already so generous.
Those who spit on it should go see how it is elsewhere in the world.
My wife was treated here, and it's a chance!
Of course, we always need more resources, but we can't wait for the State to take our hand, we might as well move forward at our level.
That's what I'm trying to do modestly with this race, through sport, through the symbolic force of overtaking.
Small gifts make great treasures.
You speak of sport with affection. And fortunately ! Do you not find that this subject was evacuated from the debate during the presidential campaign?
Sport is the great forgotten.
During Emmanuel Macron's first term, physical activity was put aside.
I hope this will not be the case for the new five-year term.
What a pity, this is a subject that affects everyone's physical and mental health.
This was perhaps the only advantage of confinement: the French have rediscovered sport as a means of escaping.
It should go faster, we encourage young and old to this dynamic that goes much further than having big biscotos!
It is a philosophy of life.
