Revenge, rebirth, redemption… The words are strong, powerful. Like the adventure that Alexis Montois is experiencing, thirty years old, formerly obese but above all sporty since his early childhood.
However, just 4 months ago, Alexis Montois weighed 152kg. Nailed to his hospital bed, this employee in catering for companies near Pau, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, underwent a bariatric operation on July 5, which consists of reducing the size of the stomach and consequently the appetite .
“I have already lost 35kg”
Since then, Alexis Montois has been transfigured. The 20km of the Vannes marathon (September 29), the half of Saint-Sébastien a week later, before tackling the 20km of Nice-Cannes this Sunday, his very first. A more than beneficial sequence for those who come from the north of France.
“I've already lost 35kg since this operation. I'm at a good 118. The first two weeks, it was quite hard, I couldn't run. But now, I feel much better, in terms of my joints, mental level”, confides the new runner, who registered in June for the Alpes-Maritimes marathon.
Because yes, this desire to put on the sneakers and swallow the asphalt germinated in him before his gastric operation. When Alexis Montois decides to quit smoking.
“Whatever happens, the doctors told me that I had to do sports before my operation. Which is good, I had already been doing it since my childhood, even with my weight. In July 2023, I decide to stop smoking cigarettes for 15 years, and running allowed me to do so. It was at this moment that I decided on my operation and changed my lifestyle.
Alexis Montois begins his new life as a runner on January 7, at the Prom Classic in Nice. “I remember the sweeper car 30 meters from me, but I finished on time, it’s a magnificent memory”. And trains 4 to 5 times a week, as if propelled into a new dimension to which he has opened the doors himself.
“There is a solidarity that we no longer see”
Running has become the outlet for Alexis Montois, who, instead of faltering when he lost his mother last April, gets back up again strengthened by the events.
“In races, I have no right to complain and even less to give up. It's extra motivation. When you finish, it's magical.”
More than a sport, the adopted Béarnais also finds a refuge, a timeless mentality that he draws from running. “It was super hot during the San Sebastián semi, and I had run out of water. Arriving at the 16/17 kilometer wall, a runner gave me her bottle, even though the water supply was still far away. These are gestures and solidarity that we no longer see outside of the race.
With his operation, Alexis Montois can only consume water, gels or tablets during exercise. A gymnastics that he has learned to manage, and which should not disturb him this Sunday, while the 30-year-old runner aims above all to finish the race, whatever the weather.
Conferences for patients
In conjunction with the Pau Hospital Center, Alexis Montois gives one conference per month to people who have already had surgery and those about to have it.
“Post-operation isn't all rosy. You have to continue to play sports, if there is no activity or healthy lifestyle, it's useless.”
The idea of creating an association to finance the races also crosses the mind of the man who has already ticked off Toulouse, Lourdes and the 10km of the Eiffel Tower in end-of-year races.
“I don't even really run to lose weight. It's a pleasure. Then of course, when I weigh 90kg, I will finally be able to fit into the XL marathon t-shirts (laughs)!” His family, including his mother, is already proud…
