Time is running out for the Meurthe-et-Moselle athlete Sonia Heckel. The Paris Paralympic Games start in 1,000 days and she needs one or more sponsors.
To qualify, the player of boccia, a sport similar to pétanque, must participate in internships and many competitions to achieve a good place in the international ranking. “The selections for the Paralympic Games will be made on the basis of this ranking. But first, you have to start with the Grand-Est regional competition, which allows you to qualify for the French championship. There, you have to ensure a good ranking to be selected in the France group. At this stage, I could be selected to do a lot of preparatory courses. In this France group, they will select the two best players by categories, there are three of them, who will participate in the international Opens . With these competitions have garnered a certain number of points in the international ranking “, explains Sonia Heckel.
However, participating in these competitions represents a cost. “For example, we paid 1,200 euros for an internship last month. You have to pay for accommodation, rent a vehicle suitable for people in wheelchairs, plus gasoline, insurance, tolls. There are also costs. registration “.
Sonia Heckel has made her calculations: she will have to pay, with her sports assistant Florent Brachet, around 23,000 euros for the season. The athlete paid for certain expenses. “It’s last two months, I spent 2,000 euros”. The handisport club of Ludres (Meurthe-et-Moselle) in which she is licensed does not have this amount either. “My club helps me as much as possible but is a small club. So the subsidies are not huge.”
Since last June, the CCI of Meurthe-et-Moselle has sponsored the boccia player. She hopes to find other sponsors or patrons. “Even if the person does not have a huge sum to give. I know that the health crisis has weakened many companies. If it is 1,000 euros and we find several sponsors, there is no problem”. Sonia Heckel is ready to lead disability awareness campaigns in companies in exchange for sponsorship.
If I do not find a financial solution, I will unfortunately have to stop and that I really do not want
The high-level athlete fears that he will not be able to pursue his dream, his goal of qualifying for the Paralympic Games in Paris. “If I don’t find a financial solution, unfortunately I will have to stop and that I really don’t want to”.
In this context, the words of Emmanuel Macron last September. The head of state had received the medalists of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games at the Élysée Palace. During this ceremony, he declared that _“the results are not quite what we expected”_. France won 33 medals in Japan against 42 in Brazil in 2016. The President of the Republic added that it was necessary “do a lot more “ at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games “because these are our Games, at home, we are expected”.
It’s easy to take credit for it in the end. We must give more funding to high level sport and sport in general. Without this, the French state will not deserve its medal
Reviews that many athletes, including Sonia Heckel, did not appreciate. _ “He wants results for Paris 2024, he wants to set the bar higher, it’s quite legitimate. But i_We must be given the means to obtain results. To get results, you need preparation. But without funding we cannot have any preparation “, she underlines before concluding: “It’s easy to take the credit at the end. We must give more funding to high-level sport and sport in general. Without it, the French state will not deserve its medal.”
Sonia Heckel’s achievements
Sonia Heckel has competed at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. She did not win a medal but it is the first time that France was represented in her discipline. 75 countries practice boccia in the world. Ten are selected (in each of the three categories) are selected to participate in the Paralympic Games. Sonia Heckel is also triple champion of France in individual (2015, 2018 and 2020), and won the title European champion as a team (2019).