During the week, Nicolas Certain is a green space maintenance agent in one of the seven green space maintenance teams of the ESAT (establishment and work assistance service) Utopi in Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande (Ille-et-Vilaine).
On weekends, he changes his life by putting on his judogi (judoka kimono). Thanks to this passion, he was a gold medalist in 2013 and a silver medalist in 2014 and 2023 at the French adapted judo championship.
From success to success for this maintenance worker
He has just experienced a new important moment in his life by winning his 1st dan black belt in ordinary sport. A step that the Covid and the fact of not finding a partner of his level have delayed.
“I am grateful to Jacques Lagreou, a judoka from my Chantepie club (Ille-et-Vilaine), for having accepted to be my partner and to my former adapted judo teacher, Yannick Porcher, for having made me work on the technique during the two years when the Covid deprived me of judo ”underlines the 39-year-old sportsman.
“The dojo is my second home”
The black belt is not an end in itself. It is the possibility of continuing to progress. The dojo is my second home and this sport is a big part of my life. I met some amazing people there.
Among them, the one with Teddy Riner during the Paris Grand Slam, the international judo tournament. This was immortalized by a photo of the duo. I was invited to volunteer there in 2021 and 2022 by Jacques Le Turnier, a friend from the Ploërmel judo club (Morbihan). I was very honoured. When Teddy won I sang the Marseillaise with my hand on my heart, I was so moved, remembers the person concerned.
“My passion rubs off on my family”
During this competition he also found Nina Coutro-Kelly, the coach of the American women’s team, a friend of several years. I made many friends thanks to judo, some of them internationally. I started judo in an ordinary environment, at the age of 12, on an idea from my parents. I added training in a suitable environment in 2013, confides Nicolas Certain.
My passion has rubbed off on my family. We watch the competitions on television together and they support me enormously. The young man hopes to take up a new challenge soon. It will not be sporty but everyday. He wants to settle down independently in a home. I want to take this step like everyone else. It is in the logic of things , concludes the person concerned.
2023-07-24 16:19:36
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