She has been alongside Aurélie Aubert for seven years. Claudine Lliop and the young boccia champion form a winning duo, which has taken them to the top of the bill. Coach, life and game assistant, Claudine has spared no effort, attracted by the sporting challenge, and her affection for Aurélie.
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“I wanted to say a big thank you to Claudine.“Aurélie Aubert, boccia gold medalist at the 2024 Paralympic Games, did not fail, on Wednesday September 11, 2024, during her return to Eure in Verneuil d’Avre et d’Iton, to thank the woman who allowed her to climb the summits.
For seven years, Claudine Lliop has been the young woman’s coach, but also her life and game assistant. Together, they have managed to turn a dream considered inaccessible into a great performance. But the two women had met well before Aurélie’s sporting pretensions.
Claudine Lliop was still a nurse when she met Aurélie Aubert in a youth center, the Mallet Foundation, in Richebourg in the Yvelines. Parasport and adapted sport are disciplines highlighted in this specialized structure. It was there that the young girl, who has suffered from cerebral palsy since birth, began practicing boccia at the age of 14.
After some reluctance, Aurélie finally took up the game of this derivative of pétanque, which is played indoors. A few weeks later, Aurélie took part in the French championship and finished 4the.
It was at this point that Claudine Lliop was asked to assist the young woman, with whom she had previously been doing sophrology sessions. Challenge accepted, especially since Claudine had already followed her son, a high-level gymnast.
“At first I only trained her once a week, but we realized that it wasn’t progressing, so we put two training sessions per week, half-days. For a year, we’ve been training 10 to 12 hours per week, and that’s what allowed Aurélie to gain in endurance, precision and game reading.“, explains the coach.
In seven years of collaboration, Claudine has become Aurélie’s trainer, but also her life and play assistant. And always on a voluntary basis.
“In training I confront her with situations that she has already experienced or not, I let her find for herself what to do, to take back the point or so that the opponent cannot score others. All this is long-term work, it is never a foregone conclusion”, continues Claudine Lliop.
“DSometimes I said to Aurélie, I’m hard on you, but that’s what actually pays off“, recalls Claudine. And that’s what paid off at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
How did Claudine experience the coronation of her protégée?It wasn’t by proxy, I was fully into the match, at the same time as Aurélie. When there were good balls, I wanted to explode as much as she did. When there were less successful balls, I was as tense as she was. There are no words to describe what it brought me, you have to experience it. Before starting the games, I said at the last training camp, I want to experience Paris fully, calmly, that’s what I did“.
I had promised Aurélie to accompany her to Paris, I had promised her that we would both fight, that we would work for it, that’s what we did, and it’s the result of seven years of work. This is the result.
Claudine Lliop, coach of Aurélie Aubert, boccia gold medalist at the 2024 Paralympic Games
Aurélie Aubert helped to promote boccia, an essentially Paralympic discipline.
“Now it should benefit all of French boccia, this hype should also serve the grassroots, in all the clubs. We don’t have the means, the federal commission doesn’t have the means. I hope that sponsors will come knocking,” concludes Claudine Lliop.
And now? Aurélie needs rest, and Claudine too. “I need a bubble of rest, and then we’ll get back to it, and keep moving forward!”
