The waking dream of Gardois Zeroual Zeroual, “transcended” to have carried the Olympic flame to Marseille

He admits, he didn’t sleep very well the day before this event which will have marked his life forever. But Zeroual Zeroual really lived a waking dream this Thursday, May 9, 2024 in Marseille: he carried the Olympic flame! “I said to myself, it’s incredible, I’m living a historic moment, I’m really in the history of humanity, he enthuses at the France Bleu Gard Lozère microphone. We are truly transcended. When you turn it on, honestly, you’re no longer on Earth, it’s an incredible moment.”

At his side in the debrief room, before carrying the flame: Tony Parker, Frédéric Bousquetand other top athletes.

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“The torch, equipped with the gas cartridge, is relatively heavy,” he says. “At the end of the 150 m, my arm hurt.” On the course, almost everyone asks for it. “I have gave happiness to people, life for me is about sharing. I saw parents and children calling me. I never refused anyone, I went there, people took photos with the torch, I took selfies; It upset the keeper of the flame a little, but I said to him “come on, we can’t refuse that to people”.

“There I looked at the photos, I had tears in my eyes”

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The Saint-Laurent resident is also president of the running club in his town, and organizes the “Saint-Lau’Run“, with two trail races.

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His wife accompanied him. Her two children, Alyssa and Liam, unfortunately couldn’t come. “Ah, I missed it a lot, but life has to be dealt with (…) I called my daughter, she told me: “Dad, you were incredible, crazy, I can’t believe it!”

He leaves Marseille with incredible memories in his head, photos, videos, but also an “Olympic ring” offered by the CNOS, “magnificent and which I will keep religiously”.

You can find the interview here in its entirety :

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Zeroual was also the guest of 7:45 a.m. from France Bleu Gard Lozère, May 8.