Adrien Chalmin and Nicolas Valentim, wheelchair rugby

Interview by Emma from Onde Carriere

Adrian Chalmin

Adrien Chalmin arrived in the rugby section at ASM in 2000 and in the wheelchair rugby section in 2008. He joined the France team in 2008.

It was during a rehabilitation stay at Kerpape in Brittany that Adrien discovered wheelchair rugby. The discipline did not exist at the time, in Clermont-Ferrand. A club was therefore created within ASM Omnisports in 2008.

It was a very rewarding experience (…) I had to be a manager, coach, player at the same time. It was very interesting because it was therefore necessary to create an association, beyond the sporting notion, something very enriching humanly.

Nicholas Valentine

Nicolas Valentine is 28 years old. He joined the wheelchair rugby section in 2011. He has been in the France team since 2017.

Nicolas discovered wheelchair rugby thanks to his sports teacher and a meeting with Adrien Chalmin. He was able to learn many things about disability, other than sport, which was very important to him.

What I immediately liked was the collective aspect, but above all the spirit that there was also outside the field between the players. There was a really, really good atmosphere.

wheelchair rugby

Adrian Chalmin: He succeeded in transforming men and making us practice a fun, sporting activity, of course for fun, but also to build us as men. This leads us to surpass ourselves, to learn, to know ourselves about the difference we can have, and try to develop skills that can serve us afterwards, in the outside world and the less protected world that disabled sport can represent.

Nicholas Valentine: Already the thing that is good in wheelchair rugby: it’s a mixed sport. So the women play with the men. There is no difference, and no age difference. We know we have a disability, we can talk about it. There is a great atmosphere and it allows you to work in good conditions. We also know everyone’s abilities. So here we are, after that we are working on it. But frankly, we had a good atmosphere in the group. It’s quite pleasant.

equipment

Carts, or armchairs: These are not everyday armchairs. They are made in such a way that the athlete can fit in and have the body protected. They are composed mainly for mostly aluminum. With the evolution of materials, some are now made of titaniumwhich brings added value to performance because less weight and more resistance.

Nicolas Valentim will soon change chairs. He hopes this will help him improve his game. The ASM is funding him this new chair. A sports chair costs around 10,000 euros. The chair is a big part of the performance.

Me, I identify it as 50% of performance and when you want to get into the high level, you need to have equipment that corresponds to our measurements and our handicap – Adrien Chalmin

The ASM now has a sufficient fleet of wheelchairs to accommodate new players. However, these chairs may not be the most efficient for their pathology or morphology.

When I started, the club had lent me a chair, precisely, which was not to my measurements. And when I had my first wheelchair, I immediately saw the difference. Sportingly, immediately, I was more comfortable – Nicolas Valentim

The ball: wheelchair rugby is played with a round volleyball. Athletes who practice this discipline have a disability in the upper limbs, including fingers or amputations, malformations or other, and gripping a volleyball is much easier than with an oval rugby ball.

European wheelchair rugby champions

On February 26, 2022, Adrien Chalmin and Nicolas Valentim became European champions with the French team, beating Great Britain 44 to 43.

Nicholas Valentine: For me, the most striking memory is really the final whistle. It’s a relaxation because we realize that yes, we are ahead by one point, against a very good team from England. We had a very good tournament over the whole week. We were pretty serious. We managed to win this title. The most striking thing for me was the final whistle with the fact of being able to celebrate with all the staff and the whole team.

Adrian Chalmin: We lived so many adventures with this team in fact, beyond this title of European champion. I will remember even before the experiences of the Paralympic Games from London, with these three Paralympiads which followed one another. I think it has already been moments charged with emotions because of what the Games represent for an athlete, the organization and the quality of the matches. After precisely managing to position ourselves on a European medal other than bronze as we had had until now, that shows that we have reached a new level. Our generation is coming of age and we now have the possibility and the duty, I think, of going for medals at world level to claim a medal in Paris in 2024. This is the medium-term objective. I think you have to take it step by step. We have this title of European champion which positions us as a European leader. Now we’re going to have to scratch the world teams. There, we have a first friendly tournament in Vancouver which will allow us to position ourselves in relation to the other Pacific and American nations and to be able to calibrate ourselves to achieve the medium-term objective of a medal in Paris.

The 110 years of ASM seen by Adrien Chalmin and Nicolas Valentim

Adrian Chalmin: This is what marks me a lot because I knew ASM both on the rugby side and on the disabled side. But it is to say woaw! It’s already been 110 years in fact. And tell me how the club was able to be avant-garde. I have a family history with ASM. My father went through ASM, I practice ASM, my son trains in ASM. I think it’s amazing how this club has finally been able to bring so many people to the area for 110 years already.

Nicholas Valentine: For my part, it is a great pride to be part of this great club. Here, we rub shoulders with a whole bunch of athletes with several sections. I consider myself first and foremost as an athlete and others also consider me as an athlete and not as a disabled person. For me, it’s the most striking thing I feel when I’m at the club. I also remember all the finals that we could also play with the team of our championship. Those were also quite nice moments to live.

ASM on the move, with ASM Omnisports, Onde Porteuse and France Bleu Pays d’Auvergne

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