ENGLISH TEXTS
am.’ Mental health is really important, it’ s the engine, not only in sport, but in life as a whole.” Football World Cup champion Thierry Henry revealed in January 2024 that he had suffered from depression:“ The tears came on their own. Maybe they had been there for a long time.” Freestyle skiing champion Perrine Laffont recounts her moments of doubt and psychological suffering in the documentary Strong, aussi forts que fragiles. Former rugby player Raphaël Poulain speaks about his period of addiction to sport after his career, and his training path in mental health first aid. Finally, British cyclist Mark Cavendish recalls his severe depression in 2018, linked to the Epstein-Barr virus and to physical and emotional isolation. These accounts show that mental health affects all athletes, and that speaking out has become an essential tool to break the silence and support athletes in their daily lives. Link to the trailer of Strong, aussi forts que fragiles: https:// youtu. be / 3z1SIjjX7w4?- feature = shared
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PART. 2
STRONGER TOGETHER
� PAGE 52
By Jocelyn de Moubray
1. ROLE OF THE ENTOURAGE
“ I MIGHT NOT BE HERE TODAY IF I HADN’ T SOUGHT SUPPORT.”
� PAGE 68
By Mélodie Janvier
Alexandre Abrivard is the prodigy child of trotting: he turned professional in record time— just six months. The youngest driver to reach the 2,000-win mark, at 29 he also holds the record for the number of victories during a Vincennes winter meeting( 99). Holder of four Golden Sulkies, Silver Sulky in 2022 and Bronze in 2023, he moves fast. Very fast.
He comes from a racing dynasty and expectations are high. But like the great drivers, Alexandre knows how to handle that kind of pressure. When he first crossed paths with Jean-Michel Jarry, it wasn’ t for his mental coaching skills but“ simply” for an osteopathy session.“ At first, he was my osteopath. He was actually the one who brought up the idea of the coaching he could provide. He had mostly worked with racing drivers and golfers. When asked at what points I needed his services, I’ ll be honest: it’ s unfortunate to say, but you turn to these people, who are health professionals, when things aren’ t going well. He helped me put a lot of things into perspective. It took a lot of work on myself, especially the first two years, I had to get the machine running properly. Now I know myself better, and our sessions are more occasional, it’ s more about foresight, when you know a potentially difficult period might be coming.” But Jean-Michel Jarry’ s role didn’ t stop at the professional level:“ I started working with Jean-Michel when my first son was born. Once again, he helped me put things into perspective. Before, a race was everything. Now, even if I’ ve been disqualified five times in a day, in the evening I know I’ ll go home to my children and my family. That makes all the difference.” In January 2024, on his way to the races, Alexandre Abrivard was the victim of a terrible car accident, just days before he was meant to take part in the Prix d’ Amérique with Just Love You.“ After the accident, I needed to call on Jean-Michel more often. I was afraid to go
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