After coming close to death, Inès-Marie is reborn thanks to running

Everything changed one evening in November 2022, when a cardiac arrest nearly cost Inès-Marie Durancelle her life. This shock marks the beginning of a rebirth: with Ucky, a puppy with an unexpected role, she finds the strength to get back up and discovers a passion for running. Today, she shines on the catwalks.

Inès-Marie Ducancelle, 22, grew up in Avrillé, in Maine-et-Loire. If his childhood and adolescence seem promising, they are marked by a deep malaise, well hidden behind an appearance of success. “Succeeding meant being good at school, having lots of friends, being the first everywhere“, she confides.

But behind these successes lies a malaise that will eat away at Inès-Marie little by little. Existential anxiety and depression set in, fueled by a series of personal ordeals: deaths in those around him, global catastrophes that mark his adolescence, and a loss of meaning.

At the time, I was afraid to live. This fear triggered depression and I lost a lot of weight very quickly

Hospitalized several times in pediatrics, notably for anorexia, she suffered repeated therapeutic failures. “People tried to label me with diagnoses, but nothing worked. As soon as I left the hospital, I lost more weight, and my white blood cells dropped.“

On November 3, 2022, Inès-Marie was found unresponsive, she suffered a cardiac arrest, she would have four more in the week. “My father found me unconscious on the couch. The firefighters revived me and I was put into a coma.“

Between a month of intensive care and serious complications affecting her kidneys, liver and lungs, the young woman came close to death several times. “When one organ was healed, another failed. I had lost the use of my legs and even my taste. All I had left was the sight to watch my parents try to give me a smile, while I saw very clearly that behind them, there were tears and enormous sadness.“

Despite the concern of those close to her, she fights to stay alive.

If I continued to stay in the hospital, I was going to die.

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“I had to go out to regain some autonomy, however minimal it might be.“The young girl has a failing kidney which takes her to nephrology for a month.”I went through dialysis without success, until one day there was a miracle, one worked.“She leaves the hospital two days before Christmas.

Back home, Inès-Marie finds herself alone facing her convalescence, once her parents have returned to work. To overcome this isolation, she adopts a puppy she names Ucky. “Discover and rebuild: that was the objective. He saved my life. We learned to communicate without words, and he helped me restore meaning to my existence.“

When she only weighs 25 kilos, with Ucky at her side, she embarks on walks, longer and longer, then GRs then running. This sport becomes an unexpected source of comfort and motivation.

Walking, breathing, running… I had to relearn everything.

In September 2024, Inès-Marie signed up for her first race, a trail in Saumur, and won, 18 km in 1h12. This success marks the start of an impressive series: ten races, ten victories. “Every week I won. This allowed me to find a social connection again and to prove to myself that I was still capable of accomplishing great things.“

Her performances attract attention, although she is not licensed in a club. “I am told that I have good potential and that I can go very far. But above all I want to preserve the pleasure of running.“

Running is not just a sporting activity for Inès-Marie: it is a real rebirth. “I’m running to make up for lost time. Every moment spent running is a celebration of life.“

In 2025, she plans to do cross country races, a marathon in May and dreams of one day doing the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, a 171 km race.

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