Montpellier. For Clémence Gualy, suffering from cardiomyopathy: “To resist is to exist”

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Let’s dive with Clémence Gualy this September 28! The 29-year-old young woman attempted to swim for 6 hours straight at the Angelotti swimming pool in Montpellier. A challenge that might seem surmountable for some, but Clémence suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This disease, often of genetic origin, is a failure of the heart muscle where the walls of the heart, especially the left ventricle, thicken abnormally, reducing the efficiency of blood pumping.

Thus, the swimmer wanted above all to “raise awareness and discover this disease, at the same time to remind people of the benefits of sport. And ultimately: to advance research so that a curable treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy sees the light of day, all in close partnership with the French Federation of Cardiology Languedoc-Roussillon and Muc Natation which support this sporting event.”

Everyone was able to accompany Clémence at their own pace and swim the distance and the way they wanted. “The goal is to share this moment. To resist is to exist and one of the most beautiful struggles in life is to have overcome your illness,” she says. A medical team was present on site and several cardiologists from Montpellier University Hospital as well. In addition, an introduction to first aid procedures took place.

But to take on such a challenge, Clémence had to train tirelessly. “I go twice a week to swim in the sea at La Grande Motte, Palavas-les-Flots or Sète, on the Corniche. I try to go to the buoy and as soon as I feel out of breath, I stop,” she describes. For the Montpellier woman, “these challenges give hope to people suffering from this disease. It shows that we are not condemned to playing living room sports. We need to feel useful, invincible and stronger than the disease.”

Clémence turned to swimming for a very specific reason: “it’s the sport where I feel the best. Swimming, for me, is like a sort of shield that helps relieve my symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain.” To support her in this challenge, she will swim alongside Jacques Tuset, an adventurous swimmer who has completed more than 450 crossings around the world. And for this duo, this is not a first: on June 18, 2022 the two friends took part in a 15km relay at sea, from La Grande Motte to Palavas-les-Flots. Everyone completed 5km, “the equivalent of a half-marathon of running,” says the sportswoman.

Thanks to this first feat, a research grant of 50,000 euros was created and made it possible to finance the Cardiomyofit project. Its aim is to rehabilitate people suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy through adapted physical activity.

After this adventure, Clémence would like to make it an annual event: “We would like to carry out a challenge or an event every year to raise awareness as much as possible. For the moment we have no idea about the next one, but it won’t be long,” jokes the young woman.

It is also possible to buy a swimming cap created by Clémence Gualy and Valilo 3D entitled “Together against Cardiomyopathy” at the SWIIIM swimming store located right next to the Angelotti swimming pool in Montpellier to support Clémence Gualy’s fight.
Additional information and make a donation: https://www.fedecardio-lr.com/nage-du-coeur-2024/

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