VIDEO. In Toulouse, Gilles Petitgas jumped into the water of the Canal du Midi to swim 240 km to Marseillan
Gilles Petitgas, world freediving champion, jumped into the water on Friday morning in Toulouse. This Audois intends to swim for five days to Marseillan, to raise awareness of cancer screening.
A large pink tent, wigs, songs and good humor: the month of “Pink October”, dedicated to prevention and screening of female cancers, has under the best auspices, this Friday at the port of l’Embouchure in Toulouse.
The hero of the day, or rather of the five days to come, is Gilles Petitgas. This forty-something living in Bram, in the Aude, took on the challenge of swimming more than 240 kilometers in the Canal du Midi, to Marseillan. Another challenge for this double world champion in apnea-endurance, used to breaking sporting records and making an impression for a good cause, that of the Telethon in particular.
Ever since his, Sandra, was triggered by a woman with cancer in January, he has never stopped finding a way to get involved. “When I heard the news, it turned me around, it broke me, he told us before his departure. I see her fighting over chemo every day. I wondered how to beat myself too. I will travel 240 km and cry out loud and clear that screening is essential. “For eight months, Gilles has been preparing to swim in Saint-Ferréol, up to covering the equivalent of 756 kilometers. “The hard drive is burned,” he jokes.
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Aude: Gilles Petitgas will swim for 242 kilometers against cancer along the Canal
“It is the mind that will prevail”
At nine o’clock sharp, he put on his fins, mask and snorkel over his wetsuit and threw himself into the cool water of the Ponts-Jumeaux, under the encouragement of his many supporters and partners. In his wake, a dozen people will watch over him during his five-day journey. He is followed by a barge, two rescue kayakers, a mountain biker and a trailer. His colleagues from Siemens and former members of the French Navy, like him, mobilized.
“Physical condition is important, but it is the mind that will prevail,” explains David Ruiz, president of the Neptuneo association, created for the occasion. You have to be behind him to support and encourage. We will give him the tempo, encourage him to eat and drink regularly, so that he is at the maximum of his abilities. It is a very big challenge. At each lock, Gilles Petitgas and the kayakers are forced to get out of the water. Several stages are planned on the route, in Port-Lauragais, Carcassonne, Argens-Minervois and Béziers, before reaching Marseillan, in Hérault, on Tuesday.
The funds collected on the principle of sponsorship by the kilometer traveled, will be donated in part to the Association Vivre Avec (AVA), which accompanies the patients of Castelnaudary, and to medical research. “Gilles’ action is a great lesson in non-resignation, in combat,” Jacqueline Besset, the president of the AVA, is moved with a pink wig on her head. It’s an example. He gives his all. We are wholeheartedly with him and his wife. You should never quit, always keep the hope of continuing. It’s our invention! ”
The challenge of the crossing is also a great opportunity to “convey prevention messages, in a festive and dynamic atmosphere”, according to Dr Marie Bicharat, the Haute-Garonne manager of the CRCDC (Regional Center for the Coordination of Cancer Screening). . The month of October lends itself to multiple tips for screening for breast, uterine and colon cancer. “Too few people get tested,” explains Marie Bicharat. Or, screening allows women aged 50 to 74 to discover cancer at a very early stage, making it easier to treat, with after-effects and a better chance of survival. “