retirees take on the Eiffel Tower

Elderly people finish their warm-up. The retirees, residents of a nursing home in Troyes (Aube), are between 84 and 99 years old and are preparing to climb the first 327 steps of the Eiffel Tower. Rose, 84, is in the lead and after 30 minutes of walking, she is the first to succeed in this almost impossible bet. To make it possible, these grannies had to train for six months with a physical trainer. She does a warm-up, muscle strengthening, before climbing the three floors of their nursing home.

“Do fall prevention”

At the beginning of the adventure, some could not climb stairs, it is a successful bet for Jérémie Vandervelde, their coach. “It’s a project that we have been implementing for a few months now, to learn how to go up stairs in order to prevent falls”he said. “When we were told about this, I took it as a big joke. I said to myself ‘we will never go’. Finally little by little, (…) yes, why not?”, launches Jeanne, 97 years old. This Monday, some dreamed of going to the second floor, maybe next time.