In addition to great sunshine, there are people in La Baule this weekend of September 18 and 19 for the 2021 edition of the triathlon organized by Audencia. A major event for professional or amateur athletes who are fans of this discipline which combines swimming, cycling and running. There were more than 5,000 registered this year, present on the starting line of the 10 scheduled races. Business Cool was there, because we wear the suit very well, as you can imagine!
The La Beaule embankment had not seen so much activity for two years. It was indeed impossible to maintain the event in September 2020 in health conditions then greatly complicated by Covid. After 32e 2019 edition, the 33e edition – which was therefore not held – still existed, and it is indeed the 34e Audencia-La Baule triathlon which took place in 2021, an event organized by 24 students involved in the Audencia Competitions association.
Since last January, the school’s students have been suspended from announcements concerning the evolution of the pandemic to organize this triathlon which is the largest in France. Louise Thueux, 21 years old, student in 2e year of the PGE, chairs the association. With Aliénor de Ginestous, also 21 years old and student in 2e year, responsible for the disabled sports and sustainable development division within the association, she tells us about the stress of preparation and their joy of experiencing this long-awaited weekend.
Despite health constraints, the Audencia–La Baule triathlon reunites with its athletes and its public
The smile never leaves his face! Louise is happy to see the event that led to her choice for Audencia come to life, relieved to have avoided the cancellation suffered last year. She answers our questions a few meters from the triathlon finish line. The evening before, in the company of around forty volunteers that she mobilized at 10 p.m., she replaced the red carpet that the participants tread as they finish their race: “ he wasn’t exactly facing the arch… and I’m a perfectionist! » Here is one more soft-skill on the CV of this student and her team who, due to Covid, did not work in ordinary conditions to manage the organization of this 34e Audencia-La Baule triathlon.
What did they miss? The experience normally gained as student volunteers on the previous edition. Every year there are around 300 in 1era year of PGE to lend a hand to the members of the organizing association. The added constraint? Establish a specific health protocol with the sub-prefecture of Saint-Nazaire and organize its implementation to welcome 5,000 participants of 13 different nationalities including 70 para-triathletes and thousands of spectators! “ On site, we demarcated areas closed to the public, distributed bracelets to identify partners, installed a secretariat responsible for controlling the pass in a health bubble, etc. », lists Louise.
Nothing too heavy judging by the smile and the energy of Antoine Besse, sponsor of the event just named 2021 French paratriathlon champion (PTS5), happy to find the atmosphere of the Audencia-La Baule Triathlon. After months away from the field, without the reality of competitions, he lent a helping hand to certain teams facing defections in the relay races on Saturday, and enabled one of them to finish in 3rd place.e walk from one of the podiums. “ A good training block before the “real sport” », he jokes! Although he can only swim with one arm, he actually participated in the open, with the able-bodied, in one of the competitions the next day.
The work of Audencia Competitions members complicated by the uncertain health situation
But let’s return to the preparation on the student side: when the new organizing members took up their positions, it was first of all the video meetings which took precedence. Not enough to delight the team who were already taking distance learning courses. “ But from January onwards, we all got together and put our best foot forward. We gave everything for this weekend! », Estimates Eleanor. Each student had a well-defined role within a specific center by type of course offered to competitors and by “need” (catering, accommodation, transport, etc.). “ It’s a project that kept me going for a year. We each worked a lot on our part to make our contribution and I, who came to Audencia for the triathlon, it’s great to see that everything is coming together well this weekend! »
In addition to the additional work linked to the management of the health protocol, it is above all the search for partners which has been complicated by the crisis. On the business side, the fear of cancellation and budget cuts slowed down some participations, but the Audencia Competitions team mobilized to convince and the organization was not disrupted. “ It must be said that Audencia reserves weekly time for us to work on our associationsspecifies Louise. This summer, I also continued to work on the project by doing my internship there with the two secretaries. And my return to school was entirely devoted to finalizing the organization. »
Louise will therefore have a few lessons to catch up on, but a highly professional experience under her belt, at only 21 years old! She hopes that this project management experience, which mobilized a total of 500 students and service providers, will help her obtain a gap year, which she will begin next January. Before that, she will have participated in the recruitment of the Audencia Competition 2022 student team, for which we hope to have 35e totally Covid free triathlon!
