By Louis Lesueur,
Published on 16 Feb 21 at 9:02
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On Tuesday February 23, 2021, the broadcast of Beijing Express will start on M6. Christophe (60 years old), the father, and Claire (28 years old), the girl, from Small (North) participated in this game.
He works at King Fischer, in the IT part. She works in the commercial part for Adidas, in Paris, but remains attached to Lille. “My parents still have the house we grew up in (Claire has a brother and two sisters). I go there regularly and we meet there all together. “
News: Why did you decide to participate in Beijing Express?
Claire : It was a dream to participate for me. I’m a fan of the show, I thought why not us. At first, dad said “what is this thing” then gradually, he got caught up in the game.
Christophe: I didn’t really know the game, except by name. A colleague told me it was a caring game and an interesting human experience. I didn’t know what I was getting into. We are 30,000-40,000 candidates at the beginning so I was not worried. We started to go through the stages, the recruitment tests so I started to worry. I watched an episode and I was like “am I ever going to be able to do that?” “. I have a weak knee, a weak back, but I did everything thoroughly during the candidacy rounds, without thinking and for my daughter.
How did you react when you were announced to participate?
Christophe : Claire jumped to the ceiling. Me, the lady called me and said “I have bad news for you”. After that, I didn’t sleep anymore.
How did you organize yourself in your work and how was this participation perceived?
Claire : I had foreseen the blow by warning the HR and my team. We manage to organize ourselves for work. They were very happy that I participated.
Christophe: My colleagues were very kind. They thought it was funny.
And in your family?
Claire : We made people jealous. They envied us, but they were with us. They boosted us.
Christophe: My wife, Frédérique, helped me a lot during the preparation phase. She advised me on the equipment and helped me prepare my stomach and my head.
Did you do any physical preparation?
Claire : Physically, I was ready. I play sports almost every day, it’s my passion. I really like trail and raid. I practice triathlon. I also do yoga to relax. For my father, I read I gave a program that he held very well.
Christophe: We trained thoroughly! Claire coached me. I did some core sheathing and also push-ups which were helpful. It all served. From the moment we started to have a chance, I took this sport seriously. I was not sleeping very well. I also did not sleep on the plane that was taking us.
–How was this trip by plane?
Claire : We were lucky to have a row of 3. I said to daddy “lie down to be ready when you arrive”. I gave him the three seats and slept on the floor at his feet.
Christophe: When Stéphane (Rotenberg) announced on the plane that we were going to Uganda, I was very worried. I had huge doubts.
Have you ever visited Uganda or Africa?
Claire : It was a great discovery of black Africa for me. I did not know, the landscapes and the culture were unknown to me. It was amazing, we thought we were in the Lion King, with zebras and giraffes next to us. It was crazy!
Christophe: I went on a photo safari in Kenya ten years ago. It’s right next to Uganda. I recognized the flora and fauna.
We get the impression that you are a complementary team. Was this the case during the trials?
Claire : I’m more athletic, I knew I was the one who would shoot the team for the sporting events. But I go for it, and dad is more thoughtful, took more time. We were complementary and it was a good mix.
Christophe: At the beginning, I made a list of my weak points and my only strong point was Claire. To be successful, you have to have strategy and luck. We did it differently from the others. I’m the slowest of the bunch, even though I’m slim and handsome (they laugh), so we had to think more when it came time to go.
–Was the father-daughter couple an asset?
Christophe : For people, seeing a father and his daughter was reassuring. Afterwards, I was also told that I was Claire’s husband.
Claire: It’s his great pride! In a car, we were told “Are you wife and husband? ” (they laugh). It reassured me to have my father. It brought me serenity. The father-daughter side helped for the hitchhiking, we quickly attracted the sympathy of the locals.
Christophe, you weren’t watching the show. Are you going to watch this year?
Christophe : This year I will be watching everything and maybe even the following years. It’s a smart game because it showcases countries and people. It is positive, it shows what is beautiful in man. It is also humanly and culturally interesting.
Claire: There is a nice balance between running and being human. We discovered different cultures, we took a lot of slaps. It was super rich humanly. People gave us half of their meal.
Christophe: One of the first nights, a family of eleven welcomed us. They live in two rooms. They slept eleven in one room and left the other for both of us. The people are really welcoming! They come to see us, interested while being disinterested. Before leaving for Beijing Express, with my wife, we hosted an Iraqi migrant with us for 2 months. She was in the situation I would be in a few weeks later, it’s important to be welcoming.
Could you participate a second time?
Claire : It’s a big yes for me.
Christophe: It’s a big yes for me too, but I would be stressed anyway.
Claire: There, when we struggled, you said that you would never do it twice …
Christophe: When I think back to this adventure, it was incredible.
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