They are both there, crowded, in front of the phone used for the video call: Justine Bève, 27, and her father, Luc, 62, who is also her assistant at almost all times during the competitions. The day before, Wednesday 4 September, the athlete finished sixth in the final of the SH2 50m rifle shooting event at the Paralympic Games – intended for shooters with limited movement of the arms, trunk and legs, or only arms – at the National Centre for Sport Shooting in Châteauroux (Indre).
On the same day, during the qualifying matches, the athlete took first place, being the only woman to reach the final. “As usual!” “his father says happily, before adding, in his little Ch’ti accent: “She is the world match champion. She beats everyone, everyone, everyone.” Justine Bève smiles, accustomed to her father’s pride and this extraordinary team, which she describes as a true “binomial”.
A tandem cemented by a love of discipline and a desire to win, no doubt, but not only that. Because one thing is clear: the love, trust and complicity that unite this father and his daughter, who suffers from a genetic disease, are a glue a thousand times more powerful than a simple competitive spirit. Their sporting history began when Justine Bève was 14 years old, in the village of Pas-de-Calais where she was from. “I wanted to find an extracurricular activity and I wanted to try para-football, but it was too far from home. “, says the young woman, confined to a wheelchair due to muscle weakness, which does not allow her to lift a simple bottle of water. The shooting club, on the other hand, was only 300 metres from the house and already had disabled members. »
“I did it”
For the shooter, it is a familiar world, as the family includes hunters. From the beginning, it is Luc Bève who accompanies his daughter. He, who carries the bags, unpacks their contents, sets up the chair, loads the weapons, arranges the shooting table, places the gun on his daughter’s shoulder. He, finally, buys the equipment, when the teenager begins to shine, jumping from one category to another and winning all the titles, at 10 and 50 meters. Competition rifles, however, are expensive. “Currently it is around 4,500 euros for 10 meters and 6,000 euros for 50 meters.explains. But I made it. »
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