Corentin Le Fur: “People are often surprised to see the MP with the crampons”

You were at the start of the Loudéac Corrida, on November 16, and the Lamballe Urban Trail, on October 19, where you finished eighth (out of 500 starters). You are a rather active MP…

I’m especially a big sports fan! I do a lot of it. I was very fond of football, in particular, but unfortunately I have much less time to play with my activity as a deputy. I kept a license, despite everything, to play from time to time even if there are often a lot of events on Sundays. Today, the sport that I can practice most easily is running. This allows me to participate in some sector events. In a somewhat tight schedule, it’s a moment of freedom, a breath. It also allows you to let off steam and stay in shape. I also did a bit of cycling and tennis but today I don’t have time anymore.

I now play in the B team. I have had to play four matches since the start of the season. I don’t have time to train anymore. But D1 is nice, it allows you to have fun. And it’s quite funny because I often play against clubs from my constituency. Sometimes people recognize me. They are often quite surprised to see the deputy with the crampons. But there is always kindness. I like the atmosphere of the club, meeting friends. And during a match, we forget everything. No phone calls, no requests. There are no more deputies. It’s the only time of the week where I can “unplug” and not think about anything other than the game.

In Lamballe, you completed the 12 km in 46’04. Do you train?

I don’t have time anymore. But I ran a lot when I was younger. I always liked it. When I’m in Paris, it’s always very dense. I just save 45 minutes on Tuesday morning to go to the gym. But outside of competitions, I don’t have time to run.

What pushes you to put on sneakers or crampons despite a very busy schedule?

The pleasure of clearing your head, surpassing yourself, sweating. To take a break from this somewhat crazy professional rhythm. Dropping the phone and not being reachable during this sporting time. I need that adrenaline even more now. When you are an MP, you are faced with very difficult situations. People in situations of distress, over-indebtedness, disabilities. We try to resolve these problems and it occupies our minds all the time. So when we unplug, it’s more than a release. We are no longer an MP, we are just a runner.

You stepped up to protest against the scheduling of Ligue 2 matches on Friday. You have also tabled an amendment aimed at tax exemption for Olympic medal bonuses. Do you see yourself as an ambassador for sport in the National Assembly?

I believe in sport as a collective ferment. Despite our differences, in an increasingly radical society, we all find ourselves behind common teams or athletes. The fervor linked to sport is unique. We don’t have that anywhere else. We saw it during the Olympic Games. After the elections where everyone was at odds, there was a real break, a moment of calm. So, in fact, at the Assembly I am very interested in this theme. While I know it’s obviously not the number one topic when people are struggling, it’s not incidental. I believe a lot in healthy sport, in integration through sport. The virtues of sport are multiple. I try to mobilize on these subjects.

Do you ever get together with MPs to play sports?

Very little, unfortunately. But I know that there is an Assembly football tournament every year. I try to motivate colleagues to form a team. During a meeting, we forget the labels and we pull in the same direction, which is not always the case in the hemicycle. Being a teammate also means fighting against what divides us. And in a very short time we get to know each other.

Are these the virtues of the locker room?

I’m lucky to have always played football. The locker room is real life. The friend next door is a roofer, the other works in the slaughterhouse. We meet people who we then want to help in the Assembly. There is no longer any elite, any difference. It only happens in sport.

Is playing football or doing sport also a way for you to be seen and to be involved in politics?

It’s combining business with pleasure. It also allows us to promote good causes. On the Loudéac Corrida, it was the fight against cancer. It’s always nicer to take part in a great race, with lots of people, in a nice setting, than to go running alone. I did trails in Plœuc-L’Hermitage, in Saint-Brandan. The organizers are happy to have the deputy. Some announce me on the microphone or have a nice little word when I arrive (laughs). It also allows you to meet associations. In Lamballe, it was the schools. It was a way to see the teachers, the parents of students who can speak to me more freely than if we had made an appointment in an office.

Do you have a racing schedule already established?

I’m trying to organize myself, if only to have a bib, because it’s not that simple. We have competitions which are very successful.

Would you say that the culture of sport is not sufficiently anchored in France?

We are not a big sports country. The elites have not yet understood to what extent sport is a blessing. However, I think that we must make it a primary cause. By developing sport, we will have a more fraternal society. We will resolve other problems, particularly public health. We need to do more sport at school, we need to encourage more children to join sports associations. We are lucky to have lots of different sports. Very few people will hate all disciplines. There is progress, we are on the right track, but we must not stop at the Olympic Games. The goal is not to be a sports country every four years. Everyone needs to dream once a week behind a club or national team.

Corentin Le Fur in brief

December 13, 1989

Born in Paris (13th arrondissement) before growing up in Quintin

July 2014

Graduate of HEC Paris

15 mars 2020

Elected municipal councilor of Quintin

July 7, 2024

Elected deputy for the third constituency of Côtes-d’Armor (Loudéac – Lamballe)