[Applause]
we could easily think that the
most important piece of all my
equipment
it’s my soul the sword the sword the foil
quickly a maj come to mind
with the France of weapons to the ja he me
took several years to understand
that the most powerful piece of all
my equipment
it’s not my sambre well no it’s
rather my mask it is sometimes my
führer dab opponents but
most of the time it’s my most
great ally in all spheres of
my life and at all stages
today I’m here before you
ny face bare but not quite
I remember very well my first
interaction with my mask
I was barely six years old the scream is
a family affair since my father
my mother my brother train him and
imprint what a beautiful morning after
having watched the workouts my
big brother over two years finally
it was my turn 15 huge gym for
the first time I felt like a
electric shock throughout the body
as if it was going to be always
is part of me
an extension that gave me access to my
man in my heart to my body
parties I never had ideas is bad
it was amazing as feeling
and it works the famous tracking during
for a long time already at the age of 13
world opened up not less but
department all over the country and
elsewhere in the world
they are multiplied that age that I have
had my first championships was feverish
to the idea of having the opportunity to
verbalize candidates all over the
world but especially the little girl of
chicago who tends – was extremely
proud to represent his country for the
very first time
immediately mmm to be placed on morning
I had an energy a desire to play
but abu aita without asking too much
questions yet for the whole
first time I lost the majority of
my fights
and for the very first time I
hated my sport j suddenly had
want to remove my daughter mask
throw as far as possible and that’s where
that my father my coach m in
recession he looked at me and told me
dirty sheets
if you work hard site or basso if
all the necessary tools
one day you’ll go where I told you I’ll
swear he really speaks like that this
sentence do not really get me back to that
scored it’s in the competition
interestingly I thought to myself if
Past performance goals lifted
a little too high to know this since
even after my training I had not
quite my mask I was in everything
time in combat mode is my main
opponent
it was me in full crisis
teen was really rough
test the confidence I had in my
capacity and at that moment I was alone
with this mask they seemed to
heavier I was obsessed with the
performance and it brought me in
places of my soul from my heart to his
hosts that it took me several years
to really familiarize with this world
inside to finally understand that
I had to let go I had to
really more focus on the moment
present and stop projecting me towards
the performance
this awareness man allowed me
to take a
path with my mask a path or else
do the things that are within my reach
take care of me from my workouts
of my loved ones my permit that it has me
really allowed to fully enjoy the
present moment without thinking too much about
result
it took me over 20 years to
finally get my first ticket
for the first Olympic Games either
those of 2008 in beijing
but more but mostly it took me more
20 years to tame this famous
mask
I will try with the next
story to make you live since the
role I was playing my mask in my
Olympic glory quest for my
second qualification is four years
later for the shadow 2008
so I’ll put you on it in Moscow
2012
the stakes are huge because it’s the
last qualification competition
Olympic
I am the only Canadian saber is
at this competition
in this Olympic quest but
luckily I can count on
friendship and complicity that I built
with koubbi at goal a fencer
German who just like me dreams of
represent your country in the competition
the most prestigious of all we think
a good evening the day before the
competition to discuss to exchange but
among other things to say that it would be a
dream of living the games together at
London
as tradition the painting of a
live nation is displayed in the mile
the hotel the day before the competition
as soon as the table has been posted
koubi world to his room because she has
the habit of avoiding a conakry rock
dance and areeba the eve of the
competition while me jacques
opened the tables for eventually
recognize that with my opponent
my first opponent
morning the worst scenario would be in my eyes
my opponent is koubbi I
immediately the neck gasps my
face that tenses up I go up to my
room now knowing that it will be
between them – with the difference that for
me this combo represents them a
opportunity to concretize my qualification
which was already well ahead it is because
that for her it goes or it breaks
the next morning I wake up from a
trying night where I all the scenarios
of me came to mind the very meaning
your qualification is almost done
can not do that to him in a
unhappy my reason tells me you have to
win your fight confirm the
qualification
a single conclusion is logical I have
win I see here to do everything to
win my fight against my friend my
accomplice masters ladies koubbi that’s it
the tree was ready my friend too and to
Moms handle monster my mask who
surprise me say it here I was leaving her
the mom not my mask and lemaitre on
morning it seems endless but
mizidy flies in all
directions
but fortunately as soon as I read
my mask on the head
in a split second I have a
energy that fills me that was animated
by all the children I had
deployed to arrive at that moment the
very precise the height that we worked on
ask so quickly and it was played out at the
last touch 14 14
both did an action that touches
the ceiba lab the bible has to slice
they say taking the tax touch point
combat combo sassine I just
win my match and make my
qualification for me2 cm games
Olympic
but when I take off my mask
I see my best friend
collapse on the ground without hesitation I
dropped my mask that covered his sides
front cried for a good while
I reassure you then koubbi we are
still very good friends and then we go
to be still for a long time
but one thing is certain is that I
am extremely proud to have done
the part of things that day that it
took me 28 years as an athlete 28 years
with this mask at 28 in fencing
I can tell you that my transition in
the professional life was a real shock
even though I found myself a job
very stimulating in my field of study
to movies like earth and beijing
I was just going to hide myself in the
bathroom to go to
pockets of the fortunately so the passage
from masked face to naked face makes me
lose my bearings for a brief moment
for a brief a yes because quickly
I realised that
instinctively somehow my
mask was not very far and who will
their pendant in the most moments
important to me I remember to
hardly a few weeks after my debut
to the Olympic Committee where I was asked
to co conduct an evening with a lunch
Olympic and feels very little time
of preparation when precede me
mounted on stage vomit into an i-pod
anxiety that I was scared felt
since my retirement from athlete but when
I realized that I will approach this
the precise location says as a fight
fencing
it allowed me to go get this
concentration there was need for
deliver the order
I’m my pic on stage I got
surprise to recognize this state of the EU
this t2 focus that allowed me precisely
to have clear ideas of really
enjoy the moment without much thought to
result
through my journey so much has not
four parades in my life
professional i can draw on what
always been for me a catalyst
inspired by creativity and
perseverance
probably we all felt website
grace that allowed us to push back
the limits we thought
impassable
the challenge lies in the fact of
recognize the moment that it was
the water was felt the challenge it’s
to be able to reproduce it from
controlled manner in a controlled manner
is conscious
so I leave you with the stop of the
next question what is your mask
[Applause]
”
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