Water at 8°, brackish, and a strong current, the Eure is on yellow alert for flooding this February day. Neoprene suit on her body, Éliane Fermeaux, 74, puts on her pair of fins. Like every Tuesday and Friday, she will spend an hour swimming in white water. It has been thirty years since this resident of Mévoisins (Eure-et-Loir) succumbed to the call of the river. “I never go to the swimming pool,” smiles the retiree. At the Odyssey in Chartres (Eure-et-Loir), the water is warm! It’s not for me. »
” That’s wonderful. I only live for that”
Éliane is a pioneer in the discipline. In 1985, she was “the first woman to have covered 100km in the Loire by crawl”. The retired dynamic still shines in the water. 2022 French champion (Master 4), she stayed away from competition for a year after pain in her adductor muscles. In 2024, she returns more determined with the furious desire to be “in front of young people.” I am an old woman among the young. In Vaudreuil (Eure), 15 days ago, I finished third in the scratch. I was happy. The first, who was around thirty years old, finished in thirty minutes, the second, around forty years old, took 33 minutes and me 34. It’s wonderful. I only live for that,” exclaims the licensee of Subaquatique Dunois.
At his side that morning, Patrick Mayet, 77 years old. Both meet at the old wash house of Saint-Piat (Eure-et-Loir) to get into the water. The pair practices swimming on support. Their bust is placed on a small profiled foam float. “It’s very light, they are custom-made, and this allows us to have less grip in the water. Only the legs work, it’s a cross-country sport,” explains this resident of Yermenonville (Eure-et-Loir).
In the water, the two swimmers will cover four kilometers. They are preparing for the French Championship which will take place in Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir)* on April 28. One hundred and fifty swimmers are expected to compete in the river. Éliane and Patrick know that the Loir, in the south of the department, is more demanding than the Eure: “In Châteaudun, the Loir is difficult, because there is no current. You don’t have to pretend with your legs,” certifies the experienced swimmer. To give herself every chance, she will scout twice before the competition, with the hope of getting back to the top of the podium. “We will do everything for it. When we compete, it’s to come first,” guarantees Éliane.
It’s 10:30 a.m., Éliane and Patrick finish their training. In wetsuits, fins in hand, they return to their car parked very close to the church. At the back of the vehicles, the two athletes in swimsuits rinse off with bottles of hot water. “It surprises people, especially in winter,” laughs the swimmer, “but we don’t even pay attention to it anymore. » A square of chocolate and a mulled wine to warm up, the duo regains some strength before meeting up for the next dive as they have done since 1985.
*The Dunois Subaquatique will organize the French Whitewater Rowing Championship on April 28, 2024. One hundred and fifty swimmers are expected to participate in the race which links Marboué to Châteaudun, i.e. 6.3 km. Eighteen swimmers from the Châteaudun club are qualified
