Pierre Fairbank

Started: He took up the sport in 1989. (Athlete, 20 Aug 2018) Reason: He became interested in the sport after reading an article in a magazine. "It is an individual sport, with a great sensation of speed, and we use high-tech equipment." (Athlete, 20 Aug 2018; pierrefairbank.com, 01 Jan 2018) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (france24.com, 28 Aug 2023) Milestones: At the 2013 World Championships in Lyon, France, his bronze medal in the T53 200m event made him the first French Para athletics competitor to have won eight career medals at the world championships. At the 2017 World Championships in London, England, he became the first French Para athletics competitor to win 13 and then 14 career world championship medals. His compatriot Marie-Amelie Le Fur was the first French Para athletics competitor to win 10, 11 and 12 career world championship medals, which she achieved at the 2015 edition. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jan 2021) Awards: He was named New Caledonia's Sportsman of the Year in 2008 by the Territorial Olympic and Sports Committee. (franceolympique.com, 16 Nov 2010) He has been named a Knight of the Legion of Honour [in 2000], an Officer of the Order of National Merit and a Commander of the Order of National Merit [in 2008] in France. (Caledonie Ensemble YouTube channel, 23 Apr 2019; pierrefairbank.com, 01 Jan 2018) Additional Info: RETIREMENT PLANS He says that the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris will be his final appearance at the Games. He is competing at his seventh consecutive Games, having debuted in 2000 in Sydney. "I've been a wheelchair athlete for more than 30 years. It's a good end to my beautiful sporting career. I will be 53 years old so I think that I will have to do something else. I enjoyed seeing the equipment and training methods evolve during my career." (france24.com, 28 Aug 2023) FROM NEW CALEDONIA TO MAINLAND FRANCE AND BACK He was born in Hienghene in New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific. In 1993 he left New Caledonia for Toulouse in mainland France to continue his studies. He later relocated to Montpellier where he took up more serious training in Para athletics before being called up to the French national team in 1998. He then earned a diploma as a Para sports educator and returned to New Caledonia. "I applied for a job as a Para sport education professional and began working with school children [in New Caledonia]. Sport motivates people to improve and allows people with an impairment to become more autonomous. This creates a social link that is needed in order to be happy." (la1ere.francetvinfo.fr, 02 Mar 2021; dicodusport.fr, 01 May 2018; telestar.fr, 15 Jul 2017) OTHER ACTIVITIES He has served as a councillor for the city of Noumea, New Caledonia, as vice president of the accessibility commission. "I have worked to make the city more accessible. We were behind in comparison with Australia and New Zealand, and we tried to fill this gap." (la1ere.francetvinfo.fr, 20 Apr 2019; noumea.nc, 05 Apr 2018)