Laurent Chardard

Started: He took up Para swimming in 2017 after the loss of his arm and leg. Prior to that he had been involved in bodyboarding since childhood. Watching wheelchair rugby during the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro encouraged him to return to sport. (Clustr Films Vimeo channel, 11 Mar 2023; reunion.orange.fr, 06 Sep 2019) Reason: He got involved in the sport to overcome his impairment and to help him return to bodyboarding. "I continued doing sport to get myself back on my feet. I also realised that in order to be able to bodyboard again, I had to learn how to swim well." (pessac.fr, 23 Aug 2023; reunion.orange.fr, 06 Sep 2019) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (LinkedIn profile, 17 Apr 2024; sudouest.fr, 07 Aug 2023) Awards: In 2021 he received the city medal of La Teste-de-Buch in France, as well as the medal of the French National Assembly. (tvba.fr, 28 Sep 2021) Additional Info: FROM REUNION TO MAINLAND FRANCE He was born in Saint-Pierre, Reunion, a French overseas territory near Madagascar, and relocated to mainland France in 2009 in order to study engineering. (linfo.re, 17 Dec 2019; reunion.orange.fr, 06 Sep 2019) HOME-MADE PROSTHETIC He developed his own prosthetic arm in order to continue bodyboarding. "I have an engineering background, so a month after my accident I immediately started to think about making my own prosthetic. It helps me to grab the board to guide it and do some moves. But then I realised I could do everyday things with it, such as carrying a bag or holding a sheet of paper. It looks a bit home-made, but to be able to get out in the water, it's a really big part of my life. As soon as I have free time I try go to the coast to go find the best wave. It's a passion that has remained." (Handisport TV YouTube channel, 21 Oct 2020; reunion.orange.fr, 06 Sep 2019) REUNION RESCUE In 2015 he had gone to Reunion for the university holidays when he was involved in an underwater rescue. A man had lost consciousness after jumping into deep water from a height of more than 20 metres, so Chardard and a friend dived in to save him. The victim was evacuated by helicopter and recovered, while Chardard and his friend were featured on French national news. "The hardest thing was that the victim had sunk to the bottom, approximately seven or eight metres deep, which was hard to reach. When I reached the bottom I had no air left, but I couldn't leave him, so I grabbed him and swum up to about three metres from the surface when my friend Jeremy helped me get him out." (France 3 News YouTube channel, 19 Aug 2015) FURTHER EDUCATION He has studied for a master's degree in mechanics and energetics at the University of Bordeaux in France. (LinkedIn profile, 17 Apr 2024)