At only 13 years old, Maxime Demahis is having an exceptional start to the 2025/2026 season. It all started last November with a silver medal at the Var championship. A podium followed by three big performances in national A label tournaments: first place in Istres, third in Toulouse then second in Vitrolles in January.
A few days ago, on the tatami mats of Sorgues in Vaucluse, the young graduate of Saint-Raphaël Judo (SRJ) once again distinguished himself with a second place in the PACA championship in – 46 kg.
A new top-ranked performance which qualified the student of Guillaume Peron for the French individual “minimes” championship which will take place on March 21 at the Dôme de Villebon-sur-Yvette in Essonne.
Hardworking and determined
For his grandfather, Alex Berenguer, also coach and founder of the Raphaël club in 1990 with the illustrious Henri Courtine, these results are not the result of chance: “Maxime is serious, tough and he trains a lot. With Guillaume Peron at our SRJ club which brings together more than 130 members. But also with Laurent Mahé at Amslf. And I take him every Monday evening to Nice, to the Parc Impérial hope center, where he trains hard against cadets. It’s important when we remember the saying ‘‘Hard in training, easy in competition’. I think that now he can aim for a podium at the French championship.”
A fourth grade student at the Collège des Chênes in Fréjus where he obtained good results, Maxime made his coach Guillaume Peron proud: “His performances in judo are the result of constant work, unfailing determination and an exemplary state of mind. He is always respectful on the tatami, has an impeccable attitude in victory as in defeat. And he has the constant desire to progress and surpass himself. Bravo to him, the adventure has only just begun.”
