Arthur Germain is 20 years old. He has been swimming since the age of two. After practicing swimming at a high level, in 2018, he became the youngest Frenchman to swim across the English Channel. Thirsty for experience, the son of Anne Hidalgo and former deputy Jean-Marc Germain, does not stop there. During the summer of 2021, it descends the Seine, from its source in Burgundy to its estuary in Normandy. 744 kilometres, 312 hours of effort and the equivalent of 31,200 pool lengths.
A test of strength carried out alone and independently thanks to a kayak that he drags behind him throughout his journey. The boat carries his rations and camping gear. This 49-day adventure was filmed by Karim Ben Mahmoud and resulted in a documentary Swimming the Seine available on the Explore channel, launched by Mediawan on Apple TV.
“The hardest thing was the loneliness. When you’re alone, a lot of things happen in your head. It’s hard to manage the ups and downs, but I’ve grown a lot”, says Arthur Germain on franceinfo.
“The kayak gave me freedom, even though it was very heavy and the first few days I mostly had to pull it because there wasn’t much water.”
Arthur Germainon franceinfo
Throughout his adventure, Arthur Germain was able to talk to a few locals, who had come to encourage him or bring him supplies. “It was very interesting. I reached out to people I would never have gone to in everyday life and had very deep conversations, even if they were fleeting.”, he admits.
The feat achieved by Arthur Germain also carries with it an ecological dimension. Regularly, during his descent, the athlete took samples to measure the pollution of the Seine. “It is much less polluted than you might say. All the readings show that we can be rather optimistic. For my part, I had no intestinal problems, no pimples, everything is fine.”
Bathed in politics, Arthur Germain, now involved in associations, does not wish, for the moment, to follow the path of his parents: “I do not recognize myself in the current policy. Getting involved as I do today is my way of getting involved politically. I try to lead people towards another way of life, healthier and simpler.“