{"id":12792,"date":"2019-06-27T11:50:43","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T09:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/funbridge.com\/blog\/?p=3072"},"modified":"2021-02-10T13:35:04","modified_gmt":"2021-02-10T11:35:04","slug":"corsica-raid-aventure-2019-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/funbridge.com\/blog\/en\/corsica-raid-aventure-2019-2-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Corsica Raid Aventure: J\u00e9r\u00f4me Rombaut\u2019s sporting adventure \u2013 Part 2\/2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For a change J\u00e9r\u00f4me is not going to talk about the latest bridge event he took part in but he is going to share his latest sporting achievement. Find out more about the second part of our champion\u2019s \u2018Corsica Raid Aventure\u2019 diary and read about his experience punctuated by emotions, encounters, risks and dangers\u2026<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Click here<\/a> if you have missed the first part.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 JUNE 2019: Harsh day at \u2018CORSICA RAID AVENTURE\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We were exhausted<\/strong> after the fourth stage. I had severely twisted one ankle<\/strong>, the other one just slightly, and my cousin Etienne\u2019s meniscus pain<\/strong> dating back to the preparation phase was back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we decided to skip the first event taking place on Wednesday morning, i.e. a 10K trail run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seemed easy. Departure at an altitude of 820 metres and arrival at 120 metres. Only 10K. Except that the organisers had told us not to expect the first runners soon and indeed, it took them more than 2 hours!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The advantage of the \u2018Corsica Raid Aventure\u2019<\/strong> is that you can choose not to take part in certain events (on purpose or due to cut off times) and try to make up for it by doing well later<\/strong>. If you fail, you get the time achieved by the last competitor<\/strong> increased by 50%<\/strong>. (If it takes him\/her 3 hours, your time is then 4 hours and 30 minutes.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thus started the next event with the top competitors. That was my favourite one<\/strong>: we went down a river over a distance of 3K<\/strong> as quickly as possible. Repeated runs, jumps from one stone to another, swimming, plunges\u2026 As usual, surrounded by outstanding landscapes and in the sun<\/strong>. Awesome! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then we continued with a long kayaking event <\/strong>(16K) followed by coasteering over 5K <\/strong>(along the coast, climbing cliffs and rocks, with our feet in the water\u2026). Finally, once on the beach, we had to swim another 2K in the sea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to physical difficulties are feeding and logistical issues<\/strong>. Once we were done with an activity, we had to get changed, eat, transfer our survival bags (including a portable stove, a cigarette lighter, a hat, polar fleece jackets, windproof trousers that we were obliged to have with us all the time) and get ready for the next event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before carrying on with swimming, I decided not to take my phone with me. So I didn\u2019t put it in its watertight case and I forgot to remove it from my backpack. I even forgot to attach my bag to my belt<\/strong> and I had to turn back after a few metres while Etienne was shouting himself hoarse<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here my partner was my other cousin Laurent who is very good at swimming in sea water<\/strong>. He had already taken part in 7K swimming races with his wife Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, after a few hundred metres, I seemed to hear him calling me<\/strong> but when I looked around, I could only see focused swimmers. I could hear him again. <\/strong>That\u2019s when I turned round and saw him on the surface. He had stopped swimming. I turned back. He explained he was not feeling well and was feeling breathless<\/strong>. I knew my cousin had asthma and since I already felt that way for my first triathlons, I unzipped his swimsuit and we waited a few minutes until he recovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I attached his backpack and him to my belt! I was then swimming with two backpacks and my cousin!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We finally reached the first buoy near a rock and my cousin sat there for a while. He was not feeling better.<\/strong> He found it difficult to breathe. He took his swimsuit off and rested for several minutes again. The organisers\u2019 kayak<\/strong> was around, checking we were okay:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Are you all right?
\u2013 Yes, yes, it\u2019s under control.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My cousin started putting his clothes back on and I told him not to wear the top of his swimsuit as the water was warm (20 Celsius degrees).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At last, they asked us if we wanted to call the doctor. \u2018No, no, we\u2019re fine\u2019. But they managed to convince<\/strong> us, the boat was nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We got on board. Laurent said \u2018Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019m okay\u2019. But Anne from the organising team started listening to his chest and suddenly shouted \u2018Oxygen\u2019<\/strong>!(They brought the oxygen bottle and a mask to help him breathe). My cousin was still telling me that he was feeling okay. She looked at his ears and shouted \u2018Drip\u2019<\/strong>! It was impressive.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we reached the arrival, Laurent was immediately monitored and \u2018pampered\u2019 by the very professional doctors of the organising team<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He kept on repeating that everything was fine but he was transferred to Ajaccio hospital in a helicopter<\/strong> anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diagnosis: immersion pulmonary oedema. Hopefully, if treated in time, it\u2019s not dangerous. It\u2019s a good thing we stopped and sought assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when I realised I had lost my phone<\/strong> during the swimming race, so I went back to the site. Unfortunately, it was not in the departure area and after 45 minutes searching, I resolved to give up. I suddenly spotted it 4-5 metres below the surface. It had stayed there for more than 2 hours<\/strong>, it didn\u2019t work anymore!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also explains why it took me a bit longer to write about our adventure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of the tiredness (like all other participants) and the little scratches, we decided to head for the last stage as my cousin was feeling better<\/strong>. He will be with us for the last day and the final arrival\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n