"An incessant free fall": Camille Lacourt's poignant confidences about her burn-out

Solène Delinger 17:33 pm, April 11, 2023

Camille Lacourt has overcome her burnout and now wants to help other people with this deep pain to get out of it. Invited on the set of C à vous Monday, April 10, 2023, the swimmer, who collaborates with the Foundation for Medical Research, wanted to do prevention by telling the first symptoms of his burnout.

"I felt like I was falling"

"One morning, you don't get up. We stay in bed. We tell ourselves that it is useless, "he recalled at first. "And it lasts. One week, two weeks. I had this image, I had the impression of falling, of being in an incessant free fall, "explained the sportsman, five-time world champion. Camille Lacourt finally got out of it after a long period of convalescence. On the set of C à vous, he recalled the little things that helped her get back on track.

Camille Lacourt has set herself "small goals" to get better

"One day, I realized that it was me who had to decide to touch the ground to be able to get up. The key, for me, was to set small concrete goals: shave my beard, wash every day, eat meals at fixed times, etc., "said the swimmer. So many tips for those who suffer from burnout. Even if Camille Lacourt's exhaustion syndrome was above all sporty. The swimmer sank after his poor performance at the London Olympics. "I had worked for years to get to the Olympics, I was the reigning world champion... And I'm fourth at the Games. I tell myself that the 10-15 years I spent in a swimming pool were useless, to arrive at a failure, "he confided in front of Anne-Elisabeth Lemoine and his columnists.

His burnout was therefore very specific. "In the world of work, it's really accumulation, and maybe a time when people feel oppressed and have no way out," Lacourt said by way of conclusion. A strong testimony at a time when more and more athletes are breaking the taboo of mental health.