Yes, even in Ile de France, it is possible to walk 250 km of trails surrounded by greenery, with running, but also tandem biking and kayaking. This is what Xavier Thévenard intends to show from this Wednesday. The 34-year-old ultra-trailer from the Jura, three-time winner of the UTMB, will thus set off at 1 p.m. from the CREPS of Châtenay-Malabry (Hauts-de-Seine), before making a complete tour of the Paris region (forest State estate of Verrières, Jablines-Annet leisure center, Bois de Vincennes, etc.), to conclude on Friday (3 p.m.) at Insep.
The objective is clear for the MAIF sport planet ambassador: to take advantage of this unprecedented challenge to raise awareness of eco-responsible sports practice, in particular among young audiences whom he will meet during various stages during these three days. The start of his adventure will also take place after the first Estates General Sport Planet initiated by the French mutual insurance company MAIF at CREPS, where it is a question of eco-responsible actions that players in the world of sport can promote.
“Being green” even around Paris
“I was lucky enough to be made aware of the challenges of ecology from an early age and I am happy that my status as an athlete allows me today to transmit these convictions to as many people as possible, and to show that another model of society is possible”, explains Xavier Thévenard, who was the guest last week on the Twitch show of 20 minutes The crusaders you know.
“The problem of climate change is not going to solve itself, the athlete confided to us. It’s collective, mutual aid, so taking part in a tour of Ile de France together made sense. Next to the most urbanized place in France, we still have the possibility of being green. This is what we want to prove through this course. We can also do a lot of trips without motorized means, which in my opinion is the future. »
“Bringing meaning to my practice”
An approach that is part of the continuity of Xavier Thévenard’s long-standing eco-responsible commitment, since he no longer participates in races outside Europe since 2019, and he never flies again.
We now know that air travel is extremely harmful to the environment. What gives me happiness is to have fun in the mountains, to evolve in nature, and to see it evolve over the seasons. I had to put meaning into my practice. I have no right to damage an environment that gives me happiness. »
The Jurassien, who appreciates “the good ecological awareness in the middle of the trail”, like the star of the discipline Kilian Jornet with his foundation, also trained as a facilitator of the climate fresco, in order to “popularize the IPCC report” to the general public. Here he is launched this Wednesday in a new major sporting challenge to prolong his action.