Sainte-Anne (France) (AFP)
They scream their rage, collapse on the finish line and weep for joy: 225 women played with their limits on dementia mountain bike, trail and kayak events in the space of 4 days in a beautiful but challenging, during the Raid des Alizés in Martinique.
For its 5th edition, the sporting event was of a particularly high level. Under a sweltering heat, it was first necessary to investigate 16 km by kayak. No time to marvel at this postcard landscape, between coconut trees, white sand beach and turquoise water. Then came a + trip + 20 km mountain bike before walking the famous Mount Pelee, a great trail of 20 km, including 1000 m elevation gain.
World and European diving champion, Laura Marino has suffered like never before in this extreme running event.
"At 3 km from the end, I could not get any more!" I could not even put one foot in front of the other, it was thought that I was going to faint! We were wondering if we were going to finish. we had to crawl, we would have finished, "told AFP Laura Marino, who retired sports last March.
- History 3 -
The diving specialist at 10 km, now physio, had never experienced such a raid adventure. She was part of a team of 3 girls, with Ophélie David, former world champion ski-cross, and Nathalie Simon, ex-windsurfer.
"I said: I think I'll go faster by rolling but Ophélie (David) pushed us all, literally and figuratively.It was for the team that I managed to go to the end. And it's thanks to the team, that's what's crazy, "says Laura Marino.
Because the Raid des Alizés is a women's adventure that is played in teams of three. The start of each event is three, and the arrival too, otherwise they will be eliminated.
Christine Bongeot, a 42-year-old maternal assistant who has gone beyond her limits to support her daughter in her fight against the disease (Krohn and degenerative spondylitis) will never forget the last meters of the great trail.
"I really struggled, it was very hot, I could not," recalls Christine Bongeot before pausing, overwhelmed by emotion. "Julie (one of her two teammates) even tried to call my husband, the girls were so great, all the time there's one who says 'I'm proud of you'. see, like that, you do not let go. "
- 'drooling' -
This mother of the sports profile and who trained for 2 years to carry out this challenge, allowed her team to finish in 25th place (out of 75 team), braving the obstacles of a course drawn by a former soldier, who did not want to spare them. Malaise and fractures were part of the adventure.
"We know it's hard, we know we'll be drooling but we know we can, even if it's scary!" says Valérie Enjalbert, a nurse in her fifties, who ran in memory of a seven-year-old boy she cared for, Alexis from Toulouse, who did not survive a brain tumor.
"The raid of the trade winds is a very strong adventure, we do not do this adventure overnight, we embark all the family, sponsors, friends who helped you sell small items to finance the project" , she says.
All flirted with their limits and savored a 100% feminine atmosphere.
"There is a complicity that we can not have with men.There is more + wade-war + between males in search of the best whereas between women there is a spirit of solidarity, to take as much pleasure in help others to win, "says Valérie Enjalbert.
© 2019 AFP