Paris 2024 Olympics: in this city in Eure, seniors have built their Olympic flame

Stéphane Martin-Laprade, a true wood artist, is the creator of the company La lampe de bois located in Vernon (Your). He proposed a collective work, “I animate my hands” during the presentation of the activities for seniors last March by the Communal Social Action Center (CCAS).

“I didn’t think I could do anything with my clumsy hands,” Jacqueline admits. “But when I heard there was a spot, I went for it. And it’s amazing. It’s a unexpected encounter. It seemed unattainable to me, but in fact, I’m achieving it. It’s truly a dream come true.”

The eight sessions are subsidized jointly by the municipality and the department’s conference of financiers.

” The Autonomy loss is often due to social isolation. We promote actions that work both the physical and the brain and that allow people to come together around a common program,” explains Benjamin Desgardin, director of social cohesion.

In the workshop

The sessions take place in Stéphane’s own studio, a peaceful place surrounded by flowers and fruit trees. “We have everything decided togetherfrom A to Z, what we were going to do, how and even the name: the torch of seniors,” explains another participant.

In this Olympic year, an object related to the Games seemed obvious, and since the flame will pass through Vernon, they decided to make one.

It took realize the planswhich was not easy because this flame will be in several pieces with feet topped with an illuminated base, a tray, three feet and above, the flame itself which will also be illuminated. “We could not integrate the rings, it is reserved for the Olympic committee for the whole world”, regret some.

Getting everything ready for July 6th

Duly protected by gloves, headphones over their ears and masks over their noses and mouths, the five ladies, Jacqueline, Mireille, Pascale, Christiane and Catherine, are busy ensuring that the object is ready for July 6.

We do extra work to finish on time. Our shoulders are a little sore the next day, but we wouldn’t miss these sessions for anything in the world, and what’s more, Stéphane doesn’t hold back on the time he spends with us.

Wood chisel, band saw, jigsaw, angle grinder, they now master these devices that, at the beginning, were completely foreign to them. Depending on its destination, Stéphane has chosen the most suitable types of wood.

Everything is made of wood, no screws, no metal brackets. It has to be aesthetic, ecological and solid. The flame will be lit by solar lighting and made of redwood, a reddish-brown wood known for its durability.

Because the final objective is that this work, which we will call of work of artwelcomes the Olympic flame on July 6 and then remains visible to Vernon residents for a long time as a souvenir of this memorable day.

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