The canoeist with three Olympic gold medals and president of the organizing committee for the Olympic Games was the guest of Anne Roumanoff on Monday in "It feels good".

Tony Estanguet explains how he wants to make the 2024 Olympics in Paris the opportunity to fight against the health consequences of our increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

INTERVIEW

206 nations, 15,000 athletes, millions of viewers.

In 2024, Paris and France will vibrate to the rhythms of the Olympic Games.

The athlete Tony Estanguet, president of the organizing committee, wants this sporting event to make his spectators dream.

But he would also like these Olympics to be useful for our health, undermined by our sedentary lifestyle, as he explains Monday at the microphone of Anne Roumanoff in

It

feels 

good

.

>> Find all of Anne Roumanoff's shows in replay and podcast here

The canoeist with three Olympic gold medals recalls that the French edition of the Olympic Games will be a world showcase for our country.

"We want to make people dream: there will be events at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, at the Invalides, at the Grand Palais ... In places where we will stage the most beautiful landscape of our country, "he explains.

"This marriage between culture and sport, I think it's unprecedented and worth being ambitious."

"A useful event that leaves a mark"

But the dream cannot, according to Tony Estanguet, not be the only objective of the organization of the Olympic Games.

"We also want this event to be useful and to leave a mark," he explains.

"And we are not very comfortable when the World Health Organization (WHO) tells us that 85% of children do not practice enough physical activity, and that this puts their health at risk. "

The president of the organizing committee of the Olympic Games therefore wants to make this event an opportunity to fight against sedentary lifestyle and its harmful consequences on our health.

He recalls that 55% of children aged 7 to 12 spend two hours a day in front of a screen, when it is absolutely necessary that they do 30 minutes of physical activity per day.

Introduce children to sport

"Without this physical activity, there is a 30% additional risk of triggering a chronic disease", warns Tony Estanguet.

"However, the solution exists. The WHO tells us that by doing 30 minutes of physical activity per day, we considerably reduce these risks. It is not complicated to put in place, including at school . "

Awareness programs have already been implemented in some establishments.

"The idea is to make children discover that, in our country, they have the possibility of finding a sport that will please them, especially with outdoor activities", explains the sportsman.

"We want children to be interested in team sports, combat sports, racquet sports, outdoor sports, etc."

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But the athlete recalls that adults are also concerned by the health risks due to lack of activity.

"We all have a lifestyle that is more and more sedentary, with modes of transport that drop us off at the door. We no longer make any efforts," he regrets.

For adults, the solution is the same as for children.

"You have to walk 30 minutes a day. For adults, that's the minimum," recalls Tony Estanguet.

"Anyone can walk ten minutes, three times a day, or once for half an hour. Walking counts, taking the stairs counts, every effort counts."

According to the athlete, we therefore no longer have excuses to take care of our health.