He had stored his racket in the cupboard for twelve long years, before taking it out again in June 2017. At that time, Steve Matyja had set his mind on winning a medal at the French doubles parabadminton championship, which he managed to achieve two years later, in 2019, with bronze. Then came the silver the following year and finally the gold medal and the title of champion of France won at the beginning of July in Carquefou with Méril Loquette, an athlete who will be present at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Badminton licensee Marly Metz Cuvry has achieved his goal in his sport and more. At 36, he is not aiming beyond the French championship, just to continue to play, to have fun and above all to stay healthy.
A considerable advance in the fight against the disease
Because the latter has been put to the test all her life by cystic fibrosis. But recently, the latest advances in medicine have improved his health. A drug called Kaftrio was developed in the United States and made available to people with the disease. “The results were immediately beneficial for me. My FEV1 (maximum expiratory volume per second) went from 20 to 60% in less than 24 hours. But I am a really special case, because badminton already allowed me to improve my condition ”, explains Steve Matyja, who was able to almost stop any other form of treatment thanks to this drug.
However, although it seems miraculous, this remedy does not completely cure the disease. Some time ago he was infected with a fungus covering his lungs. “It took a long time to figure out what it was. Overnight, it’s as if I had come back to square one, that I had caught up with the disease, ”he describes. “It served as a reminder that I didn’t become invincible and that the fight continues. “
