A Mayennaise excels in wind tunnel flight! In a suit the athletes launch themselves into a tube which produces air at high intensity. The goal is then to touch points on the wall of the tube. A discipline that is part of the French Parachuting Federation. The latter organizes on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 May, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, the world’s first wind tunnel flight competition reserved for people with motor disabilities. The Lavalloise Claire Duverger will participate. A nice revenge for this 28-year-old Mayenne.
Claire Duverger was born premature at just six months. She was never able to use her legs. Nothing predestined her to jump into the air. And yet, in 2011, through an acquaintance, the young woman parachuted thanks to the Marathon Soleil association. “_I found myself in this plane at 4,000 meters above sea level and I loved the sensations_. That’s how it became my sport. At school I was exempt from sport and there I said to myself: “but in fact, sport is cool”. It’s just that I had not tested the right one“smiles the young woman of 28 years.
Sport was not really a center of interest for Claire Duverger. His fifth grade school year hadn’t helped matters. “In college I had a bad encounter with a sports teacher. It went very badly. I was harassed, humiliated for a year. It was the last straw and I decided to stop sport, because when you are told that you are not capable and that you can do anything at eleven years old, you end up believing it. So I had stopped, I was planning physio sessions instead“says the Mayennaise.
Free fall in a plexi tube!
In 2014, Claire Duverger learned to fly in a wind tunnel. She throws herself without her chair into plexiglass tubes. Turbines produce air at high speed. The young woman swims in happiness. “I really like when people tell me “Olala your life, it must be sad, it must be complicated”. So yes, we are not going to lie to each other, on many subjects it can be complicated. People imagine that we can’t do anything, but when we tell them “well tell me if at the weekend I jump on a plane or I’m going to fly in a wind tunnel or when able-bodied people tell me “I won’t be able to that, I’m afraid” well for me it’s a little moment of pride“says Claire Duverger.
A smile that the Mayennaise hopes to have at the end of the world wind tunnel competition next Friday. Claire Duverger has a goal that she wishes to keep secret for the moment.