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This week, we are dedicating ourselves to the “exceptional” Titicaca challenge designed by Théo Curin: swimming 122 km at an altitude of 3,800 m, all while towing a 450 kg boat.
A four-limb amputee, the 21-year-old Paralympic swimmer begins this crazy adventure on November 10, between Peru and Bolivia, alongside ex-pro swimmer Malia Metella and eco-adventurer Matthieu Witvoet.
100 years after the birth of Georges Brassens, Théo Curin, Malia Metella and Matthieu Witvoet will replay
Friends First
. Indirectly thanks to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Amputated of four limbs after a lightning meningitis at the age of 6 years, Theo Curin had indeed lost all hope of going to win a title at the recent Paralmpic Games in Tokyo: "I trained like a patient for eight years and suddenly, with new classifications of handicaps, I found myself facing swimmers with both hands. "Then comes the crazy idea, during the first confinement," to launch a challenge never done ": to cross the majestic Lake Titicaca, shared between Peru and Bolivia.
The vice-world Paralympic champion in the 100m and 200m freestyle in Mexico in 2017 then decided to succeed "a shared adventure for three and not just a sporting challenge".
Arrived Wednesday in La Paz (Bolivia), he will therefore try to swim, for ten days, the 122 km crossing in total autonomy of the length of Lake Titicaca.
An incredible challenge never realized, all while dragging an innovative raft of 450 kg, in water at 10 ° C and at an altitude of 3,800 m.
"This means 40% less oxygen", indicates Matthieu Witvoet,
27-year-old eco-adventurer, who agreed to join Théo Curin's project in the summer of 2020, just like Malia Metella, silver medalist in the 50m freestyle at the 2004 Olympics.
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"How are we going to go to the bathroom?
"
“I hadn't swam at all for 11 years and Theo wanted me out of retirement, laughs the 39-year-old Guyanese. When I accepted his proposal in an hour, I had no idea where I was going, but the dimension of adventure and the values for which Theo fights tempted me. However, I immediately had two thoughts: how are we going to go to the bathroom, and will I be able to keep the afro cut that I have been growing for three years? "
During her preparation, the former professional swimmer, now an employee of the insurer Allianz, tried to adapt her body to the cold by often sleeping with the window open.
The three accomplices especially got used to swimming twice a month in cold water at the nautical base of Longueil-Sainte-Marie (Oise), while increasing the number of courses at altitude, at Font-Romeu (1,800 m, in January and October 2021), in a bivouac on the shores of Lake Tignes (in February), where they learned to swim in icy water alongside polar explorer Alban Michon, on Lake Annecy (in April), where the trio towed for the first time a boat, then on Lake Matemale (in July) with the final raft.
A configuration with three swimmers at the same time too complex
Namely 450 kg to be towed using a belt, plus the weight of two of the three swimmers, if we stick to the “optimal configuration” desired by the Titicaca challenge.
This was not the initial wish of Théo Curin (21 years old), who as a member of Team EDF, turned to the company specializing in innovation to take charge of the design of this raft, with a total budget for this challenge to the tune of 350,000 euros, partly funded by Unilever, Tikehau and Simmons in addition to EDF.
“For him, his life-to-death vision was to swim all three at the same time,” says Olaf Maxant, deputy innovation delegate at EDF Lab.
But it was going to be difficult to synchronize the efforts of three.
After several tries, it was better to favor a rotation with only one swimmer at a time.
"
"It's not" Koh-Lanta ", we have a five-star tent"
After a year of tests and five employees mobilized, EDF relied on recovery materials such as two catamaran hulls to finalize the boat, which has many toilets, but also a tent, three mattresses, and a kitchen area with gas stove, for food and to warm the trio of adventurers.
“They are not going to take a shower in the sense that we mean it, but heating the water so that the one who has just swam for an hour can immediately soak hands and feet in it will be essential, explains Olaf Maxant.
During our first tests, we noticed that they were refrigerated when they got out of the water and that they could not even take off their wetsuits.
"
A relative comfort that pushes Malia Metella to this remark: “It's not Koh-Lanta, we have a five-star tent and a great chef, Juan Arbelaez, even prepared freeze-dried dishes for us”.
From November 10 on Lake Titicaca, the daily objective is therefore as follows: six one-hour slots of swimming at an average of 2 km / h, or two hours per swimmer each day, and 12 km achieved.
Théo Curin sums up the complexity of the challenge.
Between the cold and the altitude, we accumulate difficulties.
In our career, Malia like me, we calculate everything to the nearest hundredth of a second and there, we discover the fact of going into the unknown.
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"Matthew is the craziest of us"
Perceived as "the brains of the gang" (dixit Théo Curin), Matthieu Witvoet is also there to reassure the two high-level swimmers on this dimension of the unknown. "Matthieu is the craziest of us," smiles Malia Metella. He and Theo are ready to swim at night if necessary. "The young eco-adventurer, who works in a circular economy consulting firm in the Paris region, has been bringing his" experience in preserving the environment "from the start of the project. All three have rightly assigned missions, also with the health part for Matthieu, the video content for Théo for the production of a documentary, and the management of the itinerary for Malia.
A small motor powered by photovoltaic panels had to be installed to allow them to return each morning to the GPS point of the beacon from the night before, the raft having to drift several kilometers each night with the wind.
After the expedition, the challenge boat will benefit several local associations in order to promote the preservation of biodiversity in the region, and to promote a waste collection system to avoid pollution of Lake Titicaca and the island of Sacred sun.
"This human challenge shows that the adventure is open to all"
"The Peruvians and Bolivians will welcome us very well and we want to leave a legacy there", summarizes Théo Curin.
Before this ideal epilogue, the trio of adventurers must inquire about the 122 km crossing between Copacabana (Bolivia) and Puno (Peru).
Olaf Maxant in turn looks at the complexity of this unprecedented adventure.
Except perhaps the crossing of the Atlantic with the oar, one did not find equivalent effort, so much for the duration, the altitude, the cold and the 450 kg of the boat to be dragged.
Especially when you take into account Theo's disabled situation.
This exceptional human challenge shows that the adventure is open to all.
I have no doubt: they will succeed.
"
"We all three have enormous mental capacities," confirms Theo Curin.
Fortunately because we know that we will be cooked at the end of the second day with these efforts at an altitude of 3,800 m.
For me, going to the end of this adventure would be as valuable as a medal at a Paralympic Games.
"
Matthieu Witvoet may have crossed the 16 km of the Strait of Gibraltar two years ago, he believes: “The idea of Théo immediately made me dream and it will be hard to find a tougher challenge behind.
We are going to face limits that we have never touched, myself included, so we are not immune to all messing up at one point ”.
Malia Metella, who is currently suffering from a herniated disc, concludes: "We are not here to sign a performance but to go from point A to point B, while remaining alive".
Clear.
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Off-field
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