Yannick managed to escape elimination until after reunification, despite two cursed bracelets. The basketball player returns for us to his adventure in Koh Lanta the cursed totem.
Yannick is undoubtedly one of the leaders of the yellow tribe of Koh Lanta: the cursed totem. A professional basketball player, he was able to put his physical and moral abilities at the service of the collective, despite great tensions with Olga, whom he was able to appease through dialogue. Appreciated by his teammates but also by some ex-Reds with whom he shared part of the way, the colossus even paid for the luxury of escaping elimination when he had two votes against him at each council. since the start of the season until reunification. Despite everything, he joins the reunited tribe from episode 9 of Koh Lanta 2022 but is finally eliminated by former red candidates wishing to protect Fouzi from being eliminated too quickly. Yannick agreed to answer our questions to come back to his career on the show.
Why did you choose to participate in Koh Lanta?
Because I love the show. I grew up with it. The hardship side, survival, getting out of your comfort zone, is something that has always appealed to me. There I think it was the occasion with a white basketball season. I had the opportunity to get started and I took it. I thought “why not now?”
In what state of mind did you arrive in the adventure when you saw your opponents and fellow adventurers?
Intrigued, confident, happy and excited to know what the adventure was going to hold for us and for me. I think I was served at this level. It was the excitement of saying “bug, I’m one of the 24 elected in a game as legendary as Koh Lanta”. This is exceptional.
What was the hardest for you?
Lack of food. The humidity was very complicated, especially mentally. And the lack of sleep, or rather the discomfort when sleeping.
What memories will you keep of your journey? If there were to be only one left.
The question is not simple because I took full eyes. The first real meal, the chicken you win. The event itself, the way you win it because in this event there was no photo. And above all the cohesion and the moment that we live on this comfort. It was very cool. It was a real parenthesis in the game and in everything we experienced.
Before this sequence, you released great tensions on the yellow camp. We saw great tension between Olga and you at the start of the season. How did you manage to overcome them?
Koh Lanta is an adventure where everything goes very fast. We don’t have time to dwell on past events. We have no choice but to bounce back very quickly. We were able to discuss with Olga after the council, to put things straight and have a real cohesion. We must disregard all these tensions. It is in my temperament that things are said. I know people laughed a lot about that, but there’s a real nuance between not being resentful and not forgetting what people may have done. It passed and we were able to move forward in any case.
From the beginning of the season, you were put under the influence of two cursed bracelets. How did you handle this extra pressure?
I ignored it. I have been able, throughout my life and my career as a basketball player, to experience hard knocks and more difficult times, but I have always been able to bounce back from these moments. There, it was no exception to the rule. Admittedly, I had bracelets but in my head they were only active if we had to lose. And I did not think of our defeat. We had to make sure to win. Inevitably, I thought about it when I was reminded of it! (laughs) But I was really making sure to put them aside to focus on my tribe and my relationships with my teammates and winning.
In the end, there was no strategy against you despite these two cursed bracelets. How do you explain it?
It was seen throughout my adventure, I did everything to perform well in the events, to be a unifier and to be there for my teammates. I have this altruistic side where I think of others and I put myself at the service of the collective. There was also the understanding that I could have with the majority of adventurers. I am not an illustrious asshole, you will forgive me the expression. (laughs) I think that’s what makes the difference too. Ditto for the reunification where Ambre and Jean-Charles with whom I shared part of my adventure before joining the yellow team appreciate me. That’s what made the difference for them.
What is your reaction when you learn that Colin made a deal with the ex-Reds to save himself and Olga?
I understand, simply because it’s part of the game. He is an ambassador and the goal is to go as far as possible. What I had trouble accepting was the fact of doing it for three or four sessions, that is to say going until the end of the adventure and being untouchable at that time. It was presumptuous of him. But that’s part of the game. We play with our weapons. Strategy and protection by other adventurers is present. He thought he would benefit from it. It didn’t end the way he wanted.
In episode 10, the ex-Yellows try everything to reverse the trend. You had the feeling that it was the advice of the last chance against the ex-Reds?
No not at all. Koh Lanta is like a game of chess. And a game of chess is very long. No, it was a gamble that could very well have worked if we had paid attention to certain parameters. Unfortunately, we overlooked some and it didn’t work. I am sure and certain that despite tonight’s advice, we will come across a lot of twists and turns.
How do you feel before this advice? Did you feel in the hot seat or did you think the strategy was strong enough to hold?
I had doubts. I am a very observant person and I could see the attitude and body language of some people changed. I said to myself “there, it’s not turning as it should.” Indeed, I had some doubts about the result of the strategy put in place. But these doubts only appear when one arrives on the island for the council.
Did you understand Maxime’s choice not to join you in this strategy?
Of course I understand Maxime’s choice! The guy doesn’t know us, he discovers us and we say to him “ah, please, make a strategy with us!” Of course, he is suspicious. It’s normal. Put that in parallel with the Reds with whom he had all sorts of difficulties and with whom he spent a lot more time. For once, we were sincere in our approach. It could have been useful to us, but I fully understand his choice and his reaction.
Do you have any regrets in your adventure?
I have one. The fact of not having trusted my instincts enough, at certain key moments which could have changed my adventure. Now, I was lucky to experience this game and all that it brings to be part of the privileged. I’m rather grateful. I am grateful for what happened to me.
How do you view your personal journey in Koh Lanta?
I am half fig half grape. That is to say that from an individual point of view I would have liked to perform better. It happened. Now, from a collective point of view, we have experienced exceptional things. We showed that collectively, in terms of numbers, we were stronger than the Reds because we won more races. I think that’s what made the difference. Also, I was satisfied to find what I had come for, namely a real discomfort to push back my limits, both physical and psychological. I feel unfinished. I tell myself that I could have won Koh Lanta. In any case, I am convinced of it. After, all the parameters are not in my hands but I did everything to win and I go out much too early.
Would you like to participate again if you had the chance?
Yes, it’s crisp and clear. Where do I sign? Give me the dates, no problem! I’m free. (laughs) Coming out of the adventure, you say to yourself “no, it’s really too tiring, too taxing both psychologically and physically” and then a few weeks later you say to yourself “no, it was really huge. please put me back on an island!”