TEvery morning I wake up to go train, again and again. All this reminds me a little of Thailand and the episode that launched this series (read episode 1, “Thai boxing, elevator to the cage”). On difficult days, I think of Chad, in Ko Samui, who continues to take his scooter twice a day to wear the rings, in pursuit of his dream. And his incessant injunctions to “keep your head high, never look at the ground, because the attitude of the body influences the mind”. More audible advice under the Thai sun, I must admit.
There are a few motivated guys like Chad in my Parisian gym. Crazy people who don't ask themselves whether or not they want to go to training. For me, if I miss a week of training to finish articles or out of laziness (I promise, I never do that), the only risk is to find myself a little less strong for my fight. These guys would skip practice while their future opponents, whose identities they don't even know yet, are probably sweating it out in the gym. In any case, that's what they tell themselves to convince themselves.
Jean Magny is one of them. At 22 years old, he is almost the youngest competitor in the room. 85 kilos packed tightly on the scale outside of the preparation period, 77 on weigh-in day, he displays an imposing physique.
