Charles Noakes does not yet have the notoriety of a rock star, but the Paralympic badminton champion no longer goes unnoticed. On Saturday, November 2, at the Chaban-Delmas hall in Valence (Drôme), the 27-year-old athlete was the star guest of the French para-badminton championship. “How is the media tour going?” Are you fed up?a badass colleague shouts at him. The start of an FC Nantes match [le 30 septembre contre l’ASSE]a room in your name [au Creps des Pays de la Loire]it’s lovely… “
The licensee of the Saint-Herblain club (Loire-Atlantique) takes the time to take a photo and exchange a few words with a teenager who is also short or a deaf woman, happy to talk to him. Propelled from the shadows into the light by the magic of a global event at home, the Paris 2024 Paralympic heroes must now manage the “after” and accept their new status.
“A match changed my life”summarizes Charles Noakes in Worldin reference to her victory with panache in the final on September 2 against the British Krysten Coombs. Its emerging notoriety is not limited to “drivers.” People recognize him on the street, “Five or six times a day in Nantes, Paris and almost everywhere.”
Press tour, “a different sport”
“We see the enthusiasm around Charles’ personality, he is someone who communicates well and has a message to convey.comments Yohan Penel, president of the French Badminton Federation. You’d almost need a full-time job to manage your media schedule. » He appeared twice on “20 Heures” on France 2, had the honors of the fashion show “Clique” on Canal+ and in media such as combined AND Raw… “Overnight the entire press wants to interview you.Noakes relates. I didn’t expect that, I didn’t think it would be so appreciated. »
until excited “very tired” and sometimes “feel a weight.” “You have to maintain good posture, avoid slipping, it’s not easy. “It’s a different sport.”slides. The baddie is thinking about hiring an agent to become professional but he is not complaining: “Overall, I am very happy to have this recognition. »
She will also continue to be one of the faces of the Paralympic Games: Aurélie Aubert entered the hearts of the French by becoming the first French medalist in boccia, a hitherto confidential discipline close to petanque and curling. A triumphant welcome at Club France, champagne on the Champs-Elysées in a premium member of Paris 2024…, she is chosen to extinguish the flame during the closing ceremony at the Stade de France and moves into a new dimension.
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