Thursday 24th of April, don't ask me what happened because I have no memories from that day. My brother got to the swimming pool a few minutes after the accident and told me with tears in his eyes that I was the victim of a heart rhythm disorder followed by a cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA).
First aid (Life guards, firefighters then medical team) arrived very quickly and took care of me almost immediately performing a successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) .
Transferred by helicopter to Montpellier hospital, in less than one hour I was in the hands of service resuscitation ( where I remained in an induced coma for 48 hours ) and then I moved to the intensive care of cardiology department.
From the swimming pool in Sete to the hospital in Montpellier, I've been surrounded from the beginning by an exceptional survival chain and a great medical team that allows me allows to write these sentences today. I have no word strong enough to describe how I feel about them all.
I left the hospital a fews days ago and my state of mind is good although a lots of things are fusing in my head.
I am going through an unscheduled event in my life.
I am aware of being somehow "a miracle" because I'm out and up right without neurological and physical damages. Unfortunately it reminds us how fragile life is.
In sport, I am very passionate and driven in the pursuit of the perfect performance, year after year, day after day. From that experience, I am taking this new challenge with dedication and the support of my family, friends, partners and supporters. I will grow stronger from this although I am very fortunate and grateful about the outcome. I can guarantee you that I already enjoy even more the simple thing of being ALIVE.
My unusual medical file is in the hands of the best specialists. In the coming weeks, I will focus on recovering but also pursuing investigations. This will be a long haul process.
So far it's going well and I am getting back to a normal life.
Again, I would like to thank all of you for your support and all the positives thoughts you sent us.
I would like to conclude with a little word from my family " this event is your greatest victory and marks the beginning of something else ."
I wish you a great day and enjoy every second.
Take care,