At the Paris Olympics, the two medal-winning champions who lit the Olympic cauldron were born in Guadeloupe, and they learned their trade there. Teddy Riner and Marie-José Pérec had to leave their island and head to France, sometimes barely teenagers, to reach the highest level of sport. In Pointe-à-Pitre, the CREPS (Centre for Resources, Expertise and Sports Performance) is where champions are trained. For several years, the premises have been renovated, in particular to receive the Games Preparation Centre label, in view of the Paris Olympics. Brand new infrastructure that also allows the institution to keep its champions a little longer and delay their sometimes difficult departure several thousand kilometres away.
In the courtyard of CREPS, the list of great champions born in Guadeloupe is long and all have their picture hanging on a green fence. It serves as an example to young people who, in passing, see them every day, hoping that it will inspire them as much as possible. », explains Valéry Bourgeois, high-level and high-performance advisor at CREPS in Pointe-à-Pitre.
The structure is modern, recently renovated, there is a connected athletics track, for example, or a brand new rugby field. These developments are the result of several million euros invested in recent years, between funding from the region and European subsidies. We are trying to do everything we can to ensure that [les jeunes] can stay as long as possible. Afterwards, of course, we cannot ignore the fact that they have to leave… »notes Valéry Bourgeois.
Fly more than 6,000 km to one day, perhaps, be able to participate in the Olympic Games
At a high level, departure is mandatory. It is impossible to go beyond the regional level by staying on the island, so future champions must fly more than 6,000 km away, which leads to many difficulties, explains the high-level and high-performance advisor: ” With the change in temperature, culinary habits, the family environment which is no longer present, or rather which is present, but by telephone. ». CREPS takes these obstacles into account: Moreover, I personally work on a support unit for overseas athletes who are supposed to go to mainland France, to offer them follow-up, meet their parents to find out if they have difficulties, particularly financial, in paying. » Paying for the plane ticket, for example, which is very expensive to reach France.
” Leaving very early is difficult. We know very well that the adaptation is not the same, confides Chantal Cusset-Gaydu, director of CREPS,It’s very complicated. We are now managing to keep them beyond what was before, very often, a departure in third or second grade, more or less. So now, we keep them at least until the final year. »
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In the premises, two young 13-year-old leaders will not stay until their final year of high school. Spotted by major basketball clubs that play at the national level, Rennes for one, Cherbourg for the other, they will join France at the start of the next school year. For the future champions, the success of Guadeloupean athletes is also and above all a question of mentality, ” It’s quite complicated, but in fact, the most important thing is to have the mentality and then the rest follows.explains one of them, oWe may not necessarily have as many means, but we give ourselves the means and we may want to do more. We tell ourselves that we must do more than others. “For the other, the difficulty is to ” be ready to leave his family. “To have the chance, perhaps, to participate in the Olympic Games one day.
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