Héloïse Courvoisier, 26, has qualified for the triathlon events of the 2024 Paralympic Games. A sport she discovered in 2020 after the confinement due to Covid-19. Interview.
2 min
Sometimes, chance does things well. In 2020, Héloïse Courvoisier’s partner, Thibaut Rigaudeau, also a para-triathlete and qualified for Paris 2024offers him a taste of para-triathlon when he comes out of confinement. I didn’t necessarily like swimming or running and I didn’t know anything about cycling. “, she says, running her hand through her hair. But against all expectations, the young woman quickly got into the game, to the point of competing in her very first competition in September 2020 with the French Championships. The story was launched. Today, Héloïse Courvoisier, who has been visually impaired since birth, swims, runs and rolls like one breathes. However, it was with rowing that she started the sport near Angers in her early teens.
A fighter who has trouble realizing what is happening to her
Héloïse Courvoisier, a physiotherapist by profession, then gave herself the means to achieve this. Initially, in 2022, she chose to work part-time. It was a kind of bet, my salary was already not very high full-time and I had not yet found a partner for this adventure. “, she smiles. No matter. Thanks to a sixth place at the World Championships that year, she entered the list of high-level athletes and benefited from an agreement between her employer and the National Sports Agency. She also looked for other funding.
The one that is part of the Team Parasport Partner has fought for the past two years to qualify. This fighter with a quiet strength has a hard time realizing what is happening to her. Being one of the 21 para-triathletes who will represent France on September 1 and 2 at the Pont Alexandre III is something ” Magnificent “.
With her ticket in hand, Héloïse Courvoisier hopes that the Paris Paralympic Games will be an opportunity to showcase the performances of “ incredible » para-athletes.
The word disabled sport is too reductive for her.
Between sips of iced tea, she says a taxi driver told her he’d rather watch the Olympics to see the stars. The problem: The man couldn’t name a single one. I am not a disabled person who plays sports, but a high-level athlete who has a disability. “, she says. Héloïse Courvoisier finds in passing that the word disabled sport is too reductive.
Héloïse Courvoisier still has a few weeks to fine-tune her preparation. Her ambition: to make at least a top 5 finish. A medal? That would be huge “, she says. But she won’t stop there. Certain to continue to progress, she already has Los Angeles 2028 in mind. Swimming, running and cycling: a routine that has become a real reason to live for Héloïse Courvoisier.