When I travel for the humanitarian association Athletes of the World*, I see extraordinary exchanges between French sportsmen and women and underprivileged children, improbable exchanges... I remember in Morocco, for example, we played football together. At first, we were all a bit reserved... but after half an hour, there were no longer any champions or street kids; there were just footballers playing and laughing at the same time, quite simply! These encounters encourage us to take an interest in situations that aren't really funny... Even if those who endure them are strong, and in the end dramatise them less than we do! It makes you think... That's what I like about travelling. Because settling down somewhere to rest is not my cup of tea, holidays bore me. I need a purpose for my travels, I need to meet real people: that's what Athletes of the World offers.
I also like to travel a lot to discover landscapes... To tell the truth, I'm a bit of a contemplative person: the sun on the sea in Brittany, Ukraine from the sky covered in a blanket of snow, the Bahamas and the incredible colours of the ocean... In Tahiti, especially in Bora Bora, where you just have to put your head under the water to discover fabulous species: sharks, barracudas, manta rays... Impressive! It's the feeling of diving that appeals to me. The feeling of being in flight, suspended, soothed. The space, the feeling that you're a little freer, outside the world and its rules - even if you're not! - that's what islands are all about. For me, a dream trip would be to sail around the world, stopping only on islands!
I'm also interested in cities, even if I think they're difficult to live in. Paris, where I lived for a long time, Valencia, where I now live... which is a beautiful old town, with a lovely historic centre.Just like other European cities that I've discovered thanks to the pole vault: I was frustrated by only doing the airport-stadium and stadium-airport journeys, so I got into the habit of extending my sports trips a little, to have time to visit, to see a museum, and above all to look at the architecture... Modern, classic, it's the architecture that intrigues me.
When it comes to hotels, whether it's a very modest establishment or a five-star, I pay particular attention to the welcome I receive. It's terrible when people in this profession look down and out of sorts... There's nothing worse! You feel like you're bothering them. The noise bothers me too... And so does the smell of cold cigarettes! The last hotel I stayed in, a bed and breakfast in the mountains of Spain, had none of this! It was perfect: the people who welcomed me were extremely kind, and their house perfectly reflected this gentleness! I felt at ease, almost at home!
Six dates
1987: I met Maurice Houvion, and pole vaulting.
1990: I win the world junior champion title.
1996: At the Olympic Games, I stood on the top step of the podium.
1999: I become world champion and pass the six-metre mark.
2003: I co-founded the humanitarian association Athletes of the World*, which aims to bring together top sportsmen and women and underprivileged children.
2004: I start sailing on an America's Cup Class boat.
Internet: www.athletesdumonde.org
