How did I get into longe-côte (Aqua-walking)?
Somewhat in spite of myself, Adeline, my mum, and Charlotte, my little sister, took up Aqua-walking in 2013. Like everyone else, I was reluctant to take up this sport, which is considered to be for "old people". I went along to try it out for a session and since then I've been hooked and haven't looked back.
I was amazed by the physical effort involved and the benefits I felt after the session. That's how I started my adventure with the Centre Nautique Portsall Kersaint.
My background?
A keen basketball player who has been practising for over 10 years, Aqua-walking has enabled me to complement my sport with muscle strengthening, cardio and breath training.
In 2016, for the 1st time, a CNPK team entered the competition. That same year, at the French Championships in Erquy, I won the title of Senior French Champion.
From then on, aqua-walking was not just a sideline, but a full-fledged sport. After 15 years of basketball, I decided to stop and devote myself entirely to longe-côte.
After the success of 2016, the club returned to competitions in 2017 at Marignane. It was a disappointment that year, as the club travelled with only 3 competitors and did not bring back any medals.
In 2018, in Les Sables d'Olonne, I once again won the title of French Senior Champion, as well as in 2019 in Barcares. The 2018 title opens the door to international competitions with an invitation to take part in the Alassio competition (Italy).
Having acquired a taste for international competitions, with an exceptional interclub atmosphere, a warm welcome from the foreign teams and the cohesion that comes from these meetings, I'm off for a series of foreign competitions in 2019 (Spain, Tunisia and Italy) with my mum Adeline. It was also a family adventure. We were rewarded by both winning a pair event.
The year 2019 has been one of my best years in Aqua-walking. After winning the French title this year and a long series of international competitions, I have the privilege of being part of the French team going to the Mediterranean Beach Games in Patras, Greece. These games are, you could say, mini Olympic games. To be able to experience them at least once was an incredible opportunity. To be able to experience the ceremonies, the events and life on site with the team. It was like being in a bubble. It's nostalgic coming back, but the memories stay with you forever.
I was also lucky enough to be selected this year to take part in the 1st European Long Coast Challenge. Along with the other members of the team, we were able to take part in 2 preparatory courses, benefiting from advice and a personalised training programme. Coming home with the European Championship title with Charline and "So So" was a great reward.
The development of the Handi?
Today, as well as being a competitor and instructor since 2016, I'm keen to develop Aqua-walking for disabled people.
2019 has been a strong year for Longe-côte but a slow one for me professionally. I embarked on a civic service with the Comité Départemental Handisport du Finistère, with which a partnership was created. Since then, visually impaired people have been coming to practice at our club, the CNPK, thanks to a team of volunteers who agreed to follow me and coach them every week. For them, this sport is a way of getting away from it all, of practising freely and almost independently. It's a real sharing and a mutual trust.
On the strength of this experience with this type of disability, the club and I decided to extend our activities to other types of disability. Since 2021, we have been welcoming two disabled workers' homes, and this year another partnership with the Saint-Brieuc Handisport club has enabled us to open a slot that I run on the Rosaires beach in Plérin for people with motor disabilities.
So there's a natural link between my work with the Comité Régional Handisport Bretagne and my leisure activities and voluntary work with people with disabilities. To acquire more skills and offer better coaching to my participants, I decided to take the longe-côte coach training course and the longe-côte santé training course.
By going to meet Grégory Dubois, a visually impaired longeur athlete and pioneer of the category, and by helping the federation to develop this category within our events, I am proud to be working towards the inclusion of these people through sport.
