To raise awareness among the general public, patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) will travel 70 kilometers between Mazamet, in the Tarn and Carcassonne, in the Aude. This respiratory disease is very little known to the public, while it affects many people. It’s here third leading cause of death in the world. It resulted in 3.23 million deaths in 2019.
Climb the Montagne Noire under respiratory assistance
At the head of the O2&Cie peloton, Philippe Poncet, on permanent respiratory assistance, is eagerly awaiting this moment, even if he knows it, the ascent of the black mountain in particular, will prove to be very complicated. “These are huge percentages: 8 to 13%! We will be supported by the Mazamet competition club, but it will be quite violent, especially in extreme heat.”
But for this former high-level athlete, the challenge is still worth taking up: “It’s an emergency alert. There is an objective of general awareness, but also an important message for the sick. They are anonymous people who suffer constantly.”
With this operation, the O2&Cie association would like a global strategy to detect people predisposed to the disease to be put in place from early childhood.