Paris-Moscou in Wheelchair

Paris Moscow with « Runners without frontiers» in July 92

Didier Touat a 22-year-old paraplegic decided to accompany valid runners in a challenge of a little more than 3000 km in a relay race of 2 runners a day, so, an 18 days ‘race. Equipped with a medical team and outstanding logistics, a score of runners and our dear Provencal runner in his wheelchair started from the Champs Elyséees in a complete indifference.

18 stages marked with all kinds of difficulties: the route but also the weather.

Here is what Didier says:

“When we arrived in Germany, the rain had made the road slippery and my gloves soaked with water made the progress of the wheelchair very difficult. In the Black Forest, the ups and downs of the road slowed down the convoy. We went through Prague in a heavy fog. At Warsaw, in Poland the French ambassador grandly received us. After Minsk, the physical conditions of some of the runners were such that they had to continue by bus. The others had to surpass themselves to reach Moscow a week later. “

46 km before the arrival, Didier was at the end of his tether, he couldn’t take any more, he had no more gas, he said .He dragged himself out of his wheelchair and sat down on the ground, unable to pursue his course. In low spirits, he held down his head in his hands, his tears flowing down his face. A valid runner went up to him and in hard harsh words, upset his intellect to fire up the flame that had imparted such energy to Didier to cover the 2960 km
he had run so far.

Slowly, our paraplegic runner sat up, as if hurt in his flesh, with a grin of revenge on his face. Deeply hurt, he sat back in his chair, which is part of him and with the rage of true champions, he literally flew off to the arrival.

Those sports events were extremely hard for the competitors since 4 valid runners only and
Brave Didier in his wheelchair managed to reach the Red Square in Moscow.

The charity run was properly managed: medical equipment was given to different Russian hospitals all the way down to Moscow.

It is a lesson of humility for many of us who take their cars to buy their bread 300 meters away.