He is the candidate who has won the most individual events this year, François is in the final of Koh Lanta, the cursed totem. The Montpellier firefighter comes back to us on his adventure.
Former executive of the green team then handyman of the red team and the reunited tribe, François has always impressed in Koh Lanta, the cursed totem but it is in individual that he showed all his power with no less than five personal victories after reunification. The Montpellier firefighter, who is the candidate to have lost the most weight this season, gave everything he physically had to achieve his goal: the posts. Qualified third in the orientation test, he now caresses the possibility of a title in the final of Koh Lanta 2022. Before the broadcast of the final, he answered our questions about his career on the show.
Why did you choose to participate in the show?
Quite simply because I wanted to live an extraordinary adventure, at the same time the sporting side, adventure, travel, survival… All that combined and pushed by my darling and my sister who told me that I had the profile that corresponded well to the show, I motivated myself to apply and it worked.
What was the hardest for you?
It was almost everything that was the hardest, but the most difficult was the humidity and the cold with, almost equally, the hunger and then the difficulties linked to the living conditions which were really delicate.
If there was only one memory to keep from your journey, which one would it be?
It’s hard to say, there are so many good memories that I don’t have one that comes back to me in particular. We had moments of laughter which were brilliant. We had very difficult times that we also remember, of course. It’s really impossible to define a single moment, it was so intense all along.
You have shown your skills in the events with in particular 5 individual victories. How do you explain that no one tried to get you out of the game?
I think there is something that we don’t realize during the broadcast, it’s the importance of the human relationships that we create on the camp. I was lucky enough to get along well with almost all the adventurers. Inevitably, by the nature of the game, we are obliged to vote against each other at some point. I was lucky my name didn’t come out. I think it is due to this particular phenomenon.
Overall, the season was quite “nice” because many votes were made on merit. There was still a moment of tension during the elimination of Louana and Maxime. They speak of a betrayal of the red and green pact. What do you think ?
When we were with the Greens and when we arrived with the Reds, we had promised ourselves not to vote for the Greens against the others, which we did. Then, we made exactly the same pact with the Reds. The difficulty is that when we arrived at the linked destinies, there were Greens and Reds in all the teams so it was impossible to keep these pacts. From that moment, it was necessary to make a choice of vote, which was made for me according to the heart by the life course of Géraldine and Fouzi which touched me deeply. There were also small tensions between Maxime and Louana which put a somewhat electric atmosphere on the camp. And then with the linked destinies we also find ourselves with pairs with us. When I asked Olga who she was voting for, she told me Maxime so I clung to my current partner. All these combined phenomena meant that I voted against Maxime and Louana rather than against Géraldine and Fouzi. But, once again, there were Greens and Reds in all the pairs and, whatever happens, whether I vote against one or the other, I would have betrayed someone because we couldn’t not respect the commitments we had at the start. We had said before that at some point we would have to vote between us, because that’s the game: there are only 5 left at the orientation and we were 8 Reds. We couldn’t all go there, it was not possible. We knew we were going to have to vote against each other. For me, there is no betrayal, it’s just that at that time, we do with the affinities of the moment.
We have the feeling that before each advice you were in control strategically speaking. Did you feel in danger?
Of course, I felt in danger before each advice like almost all adventurers. When you go to the council, you’re never sure what’s going to happen. There are people who say who they want to vote for and at the last moment they can change their minds. There may be strategies that we do not see coming. No, I was not in control, I was like everyone else in danger all along. As you can see, my name came up several times in the mouths of adventurers, it didn’t translate into votes on paper, but I could have had my name on paper too at any time. It’s played on chance phenomena, also adventurers who decide to vote against one and not against the other. It can change everything. I was no safer than the others.
How did you experience orienteering?
Already, I was proud to have come this far. I don’t know if you can see it from your sofa, but it’s an extremely difficult adventure. I lost a lot of weight, I was really in the red physically and mentally. I was at the end. Before this ordeal, I tell myself that this is the last straight line, that we must not let go, that we must fight until the last dagger is found. At the start of the event, I’m confident because I’m alone in my zone, I say to myself “Damn, it’s going well”. I hear the first blast of the foghorn, then the second and the pressure mounts more and more. The other adventurers arrive in the area and it gets really complicated nervously.
What was your state of mind before taking part in the pole test?
I was both relaxed because I told myself that I had had the chance to do the 39 days of adventure and to reach the end. I tell myself that the mission is accomplished and that the course will have been magnificent. In addition, I had the chance to win events. Whatever happens, whatever the outcome, I’m glad I got this far. But I was both focused because I told myself that it was the ultimate test and that you had to give up nothing until the last second and you have to give everything to try to stay as long as possible. And, if possible, be the last on the post!
Did you calculate your chances against the other candidates for the final council?
Not at all. We find it difficult to project ourselves. It’s like on the orientation or the other tests, you can try to make calculations but in Koh Lanta everything changes at any time. Rules can evolve so all the plans that we could draw and make in advance, it turns around and it changes permanently. I did not imagine the last on the post and who to choose. I stayed focused on the race to be the last and maybe be able to choose. At that time, I would have the opportunity to reflect.
Assuming you win the €100,000, what would you like to do with it?
Since the casting phases, I had said that I would donate part of it to associations that are close to my heart. I haven’t changed my mind since. With the rest, I would like to please my family and that will already be quite a lot.
How did you experience the broadcast of the program and in particular the reactions of the viewers?
It wasn’t really difficult. On the whole, the people are rather very benevolent. Afterwards, what is a bit difficult is that people sometimes go looking for stories where there are none. It’s going into big nonsense. It’s a little harder to live with because you don’t understand what’s going on. Why do people invent stuff that doesn’t exist? But otherwise, 99.9% of the time, people are benevolent and it goes well. I haven’t really had any problems on social media.
You lost a lot of weight in Koh Lanta. How did you manage after the adventure?
It took me three or four months to get back to my ideal weight. At the beginning, the problem is that you want to eat without stopping, to knock everything out, but it’s not the right solution. After a few days, we manage to regulate ourselves and gradually return to the game, start to resume the sport slowly. Inevitably, the tendons and the muscles… everything was complicated during the period of the adventure. You have to resume very gradually and try to return to your physical level as gently as possible so as not to injure yourself. You have to avoid going too fast so as not to pay it afterwards.
Did the adventure teach you things about yourself?
Yes because I really went beyond my limits. It is truly an adventure that pushes beyond anything one thinks one is capable of delivering physically and psychologically. I’m happy to have made it because it showed me that I could go far and seek the end of the end of my physical and mental limits. Then, I think it puts things in their place because when you’re deprived of all the comforts and everything you can have on a daily basis, when you see that just brushing your teeth is a pleasure on the way back, it puts my feet back on the ground. It shows us how lucky we are every day.
How do you view your Koh Lanta adventure?
It is a source of pride to have been able to take part in this adventure. There were 40,000 of us during the casting phases and I was lucky enough to be one of the 24 privileged people who were able to experience this and it’s already huge. Then I had the chance to do the 39 days of adventure and get to the end on the poles. If I had been told at the start, I would have signed up immediately for it to happen like that. I am very proud to have been part of the adventure and very proud of the way it was able to unfold. I think I was very lucky. It is also needed in Koh Lanta. I had partners who were great. I met exceptional people who will truly remain friends. You said it was maybe a “nice” season but because there were really people who had a good state of mind and it’s good to see people like that too.
Would you like to participate in Koh Lanta again if you were given the opportunity?
Like that, out of the blue, I don’t know because it’s so physically and mentally difficult that I think you have to take a step back to start again. In addition, I had the chance to go to the end and to go on the posts. I have no frustration with the adventure to tell myself that I could have gone further. It’s hard to say now, I think we need a little more hindsight to be able to project ourselves on this.
What are your plans for the post-release?
Summer is coming, it’s going to be work and holidays. And it will already be beautiful projects. There will also be a phase of calm because we had a life during the broadcast which accelerated a little. Between the interviews, the social networks, the work that continues… There may be a phase of calm, but it will be good too.