Blue and red leather balls hit the floor of the mini-gym at the Passeraile care centre in Herblay-sur-Seine, Val-d’Oise, on Wednesday, September 18. This retirement home, home to forty-five adults with cerebral palsy – which involves muscular rigidity and difficulty in moving – is used for sports, in particular pétanque. The sport, similar to pétanque and curling, which is practised in certain health establishments, is accessible to all types of disability; it also improves the motor skills and autonomy of disabled people. Until then almost unknown to the general public, it enjoyed real prominence this summer, with the Paralympic Games and the historic coronation of Aurélie Aubert.
“You are getting closer.” » “No, be more relaxed in your actions!” Vincent Debieu takes turns addressing the four practitioners of the session on Wednesday afternoon. The specialised educator is the coach of the Ailes V vous sports association, which benefits from the facilities of the care home. Created in 2015 by the residents themselves who wanted to develop a sporting and cultural activity, the association has become over the years a real certified club, where high-level athletes play, such as its president, David Pilon, French champion in 2019, and Ivannh Mitory, crowned in 2019 and 2020 in his category.
“We are one of the only clubs in the Île-de-France region that has a field suitable for practicing boccia, with specific lines.explains Vincent Debieu. Some people go to great lengths to come because there are no other clubs nearby. If we want to play competitively, it’s simple: there are only clubs here and in Yvelines, in Richebourg. We started with initiations, but the performances of the residents meant that we quickly expanded. »
Three times more applications nationwide
Since the Paris Paralympics, the Ailes V club has faced numerous requests for membership. “This is the first time I have received so many requests at the beginning of the school year. I received about ten emails from people asking me for information and how to register. I usually have one request every month, and again »continues the educator. Romain Chevillard is one of those newbies eager to try out the discipline. The 19-year-old suffers from ataxia telangiectasia, a genetic disease that slows down his motor skills. “I was looking for a club, but certain sports were impossible for me to do. During the Paralympics I saw that it was perfect for my disability. And then, I liked it, there is the strategy…”, he says.
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