A former triathlete who suffered a head injury wants to raise awareness about these invisible injuries

Victim of severe head trauma in 2020, a former triathlete is involved in the Martin-Matte Foundation in order to raise funds to help victims of these invisible injuries.

If the comedian has greatly helped people living with head trauma, Francis Bachand, 43, also wanted to contribute, but in the field of sport.

In August 2020, the athlete survived a terrible collision with a van, on rue Lepire, in Quebec, while he was riding his bike. He was thrown into a ditch.

During his recovery, he was able to meet the driver to understand.

“He saw me clearly, but misjudged my speed. He came looking for me in the ditch, unconscious. If he did a hit-and-run, it was over for me. I owe him my life. He got me out of the water in the ditch and called 9-1-1,” Francis explains, without rancor.

A cause

After his accident, the athlete was also looking for a cause in which to invest. “I had to find another way to inspire people,” he says.

By founding the companies Sports Capitale and Classiques Capitale, Francis also created among his eight sporting events the Classique Fondation Martin-Matte, where he was able to raise, on November 23, a sum of $5,000 on the indoor track of the Ice Center Intact Insurance.

His rehabilitation team even did the race, a very meaningful gesture for him. In total, he managed to have more than 200 participants run.

“I don’t know of athletes who remain athletic after a head trauma, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any. We want to raise awareness among people in the sporting world, which is less that of Martin Matte,” adds the organizer.

Invisible wound

Since his life was turned upside down, this invisible injury forces him to live with obvious after-effects. Each day, it cannot exceed two hours of work, cognitive or physical. Following several tests, the limit was drawn for this former soldier.

“My days are 1 hour of sport and 1 hour of answering emails, with a big nap in the afternoon. If I go too far, I might cry while listening to a hockey game at night. My emotions are quadrupled.”

The day of the interview, the discussion was well on his schedule since the activity requires a moment of concentration.

“My memory is not as good and I always have notes in front of me. You have to learn to live with that, but with my own business, I can adapt what I do and stay motivated.

At the same time, to train, he chose to abandon the triathlon to avoid comparisons with the past.

“But I play tennis and I have fun. I am learning to manage emotions during matches. I can see the positive in what happened,” he finishes.

The Martin-Matte Foundation helps provide a better quality of life for children and adults living with head trauma or physical disabilities. In 2007, Martin Matte created the Foundation to help his brother, who suffered a head injury following a car accident.