“The diagnosis is one thing, the mind that drives you is another”

What does this sixth participation in the Paralympic Games represent for you?
Autumn Kamkasomphou : For me, it always represents a huge honor because it is the most beautiful competition in the world. The fact that this is my sixth Games shows my longevity and my ability to work well to keep myself at the top level. I still have the same desire, the same motivation, and if it wasn’t, I would have quit long ago. People often ask me what I’m running after because I have won everything in my discipline. My answer is simple: when you love a dish, you always want to eat it again. For me it’s the same with medals. The more I have, the better.

Did the announcement of the postponement of one year make you doubt your desire to participate?
No, not for a single second (smile). It is certain that the announcement of the postponement was a huge disappointment for me because I had already started my preparation and I felt really good. It was a massive blow. I had to digest the news and then I told myself that I had to get back to work. And if the Tokyo Games had had to be canceled, then the work I would have undertaken could have served me well for Paris 2024. To this day, I have no retirement date and as long as my body leaves me in peace and that the desire will be there, I will continue.

How do you manage to always be on top at 52? Do you have a secret?
A healthy lifestyle, and take care of your body. I am lucky to know him well, to know what to do and what not to do. With age, we also settle down in relation to the amount of training. Today, I do more in the qualitative than in the quantitative. My leg disability (she has periarteritis nodosa, an autoimmune disease that affects the blood flow to her lower limbs) does not allow me to play much, just an hour every other day. So I have to use them to the best of my ability.

I did not accept the fact of suffering from a handicap and there, suddenly, I was asked in a certain way to put it forward.

Autumn Kamkasomphou

Is the lack of competitions due to the health context less of a problem for you, who have experience?
Yes, probably, even if it remains a problem anyway. Training is very important, but it is the competition that allows us to see in a way the reality of the progress made. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to work on without having the competition justice of the peace.

What is your fondest memory of your previous Games?
It’s difficult to choose a great moment among many… But if I really have to choose one capable of bringing together a set of important factors, it would be Beijing 2008 where I win gold, in China, the country of table tennis . There was an incredible audience, of connoisseurs. It was an incredible feeling.

How did you come to para table tennis?
It was in 1999 that I was offered to join the French disabled sports team to participate in the Paralympic Games. At the time, I didn’t even know what it was. It was then explained to me that it was the same as the Olympics, but for people with disabilities. You know, it’s a very strong word that I didn’t want to hear. I did not accept the fact of suffering from a handicap and there, suddenly, I was asked in a certain way to put it forward. It took me a sleepless night of thinking before I made up my mind and agreed. It was my competitive side that spoke. So I started in disabled sports at the age of 30.

Today, do you regret this choice?
Not at all. Thanks to handisport, I made my dream come true. The little girl who started table tennis at the age of 12 dreamed of becoming a world or Olympic champion one day, but I would probably never have succeeded in achieving it in the able-bodied. I didn’t have the physique to be a top athlete. I was 1.68m, 50 kilos and I was made to lift incredible loads. My body was not made for it. Everyone has their size, and not everyone can become world champion. Now, anyway, I would have preferred not to have this handicap (laughs).

I wanted to die for three seconds and then the fourth, I decided to fight to have the life of Mr. or Mrs. everyone.

Autumn Kamkasomphou

Psychologically, has becoming a top athlete also helped you?
It helped me in a lot of ways. Already, I have never accepted my illness. I even hid it for a long time. When I was training and couldn’t stand up any more, I used to use the excuse of having an ankle injury to explain why I had to sit down. Same thing at my job, I didn’t talk about it because I was afraid of being fired from my job. 25 years ago, we looked at disability in a very different way, with less benevolence than today. And then you know, when my doctor told me, at only 17 years old, that I could no longer play sports and that I could not do a standing job, when I wanted to be a table tennis coach at the same time. and working in a sports store, everything had fallen apart for me. I wanted to die for three seconds and then the fourth, I decided to fight to have the life of Mr. or Mrs. everyone. And there you have it, 30 years later, I’m still doing top-level sport. The diagnosis is one thing, the mind that drives you is another.

How do you see the evolution of people’s view of disability?
There are always people who regard us as second-rate people, physically and also intellectually impaired. Which is entirely wrong. If you take a person with a disability and put them to work in an area unrelated to their disability, they are as fit and competent as any other. This look that is not very human always disappoints me. Overnight, someone’s life can turn upside down and you have to be aware of it.

You were born in Laos and you arrived in France at the age of 10. Is it a particular feeling for you to represent the colors of France?
For me, I feel French. I did my schooling here, I eat French, I speak French, I owe everything to this country which helped me when I arrived with my parents. This country gave me a better future. And unfortunately, in my situation, I am also happy to be able to benefit from social security. So afterwards, when I’m on the first step of a podium and the Marseillaise sounds, I sing it with immense happiness. Just talking about it gives me chills. What a thank you for all these people who have helped me from near or far.