This time, Julie did not make a splash. Whereas, during the last council of Koh Lanta, she had devised a winning strategy thanks to the immunity necklace given to her by Tania, which resulted in the elimination of Quentin to the surprise of the other adventurers, the thirty-something did not have a flair during the test orientation. After long hours of searching, she was unable to find a dagger that would have qualified her for the ordeal of the poles. A disappointment that she takes with philosophy.
Was it easy to digest being eliminated at the gates of the final?
It’s frustrating, especially since during the last council, with Tania, we carried out a hell of a coup. Not having been able to take advantage of this dynamic to go to the posts leaves a taste of unfinished business. But I’m an athlete, so I’m fair play. I was the worst of the four. I’m in my place after the orientation.
Did you expect the orientation test to be so difficult?
No. But I knew I was leaving without any advantage. I have never done orienteering. I looked at how a compass is used theoretically, but in practice it is completely different. With my career as a professional footballer, I didn’t have much time to prepare for that either. It is a mistake. It was tough, stressful. I was counting a little on the luck factor, since some years, some found the dagger without having unearthed the beacon….
You caused a sensation during the last council by eliminating Quentin, who saw nothing coming…
It was quite a turnaround for a lot of people. I received a lot of messages, most of them very positive. It saddens me a little for Quentin, but a large number of viewers were annoyed with this male alliance [liant Quentin, Frédéric et Nicolas] who lived a long calm river. They wanted girls to stop being green plants and pawns. But this strategy was mainly to save me. I was able to count on the precious help of Tania.
Were you aware of this male alliance?
I felt for a very long time that there was incredible confidence on their side. I learned about this alliance from the reunification because Nico never lied to me. He told me that he wanted to go the furthest with me but I knew that he would always prioritize his bond with the boys because he tied it from the start of the adventure.
Have you talked to Quentin since filming?
He has no resentment. He became aware of the “game” dimension very quickly. He could have been disgusted, he is, not to have gone further, but he understood that us girls wanted to save our skins.
Looking back, how do you view your career?
By going to Koh Lanta, I wanted to test my limits, surpass myself and go as far as possible. I succeeded. Where I have regrets is that as a top athlete, I didn’t think I would have so many difficulties in certain events. I shouldn’t have stayed on my achievements as a footballer who trains every day because it has nothing to do with it. But in the end, it’s not a regret, it’s above all an observation.
Nothing to do with “Koh-Lanta”, but the Women’s Football World Cup which will take place this summer is still not guaranteed to be broadcast on French television despite the participation of Les Bleues. This must sadden you…
Yes, clearly. This does more than sadden me, it is very serious. We try to see women’s football develop, we promote it and today one of the most important competitions in this sport has no broadcaster. This shows how much women’s football is still behind and that there are giant strides to be made.