March 19, 2025 • 16 mins
Welcome back to The Most Painful Podcast! We're continuing our Live from Invictus series, bringing you exclusive conversations straight from the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, BC. In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with Marie-Cécile Boeuf, a French athlete with an incredible story to tell. Competing in Skeleton, one of the most extreme winter sports, she shares a hair-raising account of what it’s like to race headfirst down an icy bobsled track at breakneck speeds. From the adrenaline rush to the mental and physical challenges, Marie takes us inside this thrilling event and what it means to compete on the Invictus stage.Stay tuned for more powerful stories from Live from Invictus!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is SSN Story Studio Network.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to this special series of the Most Painful Podcast,
recorded live from the twenty twenty five Victus Games at
Vancouver BC. I'm your host Tom Happy. On this episode,
I had the opportunity to meet the French athlete Marie
Cecil both and she tells a hair raising story about
(00:28):
her experience on the skeleton event where you go head
first down the bobslit truck. Marie, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, well it's great to have you. I know you
guys have had a busy week, very busy, and you
guys have done very well.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yes, yes, it was a very great day. We have
really great days at Whistler yea. And tonight wascial was
special because we win. We won gold medal at for
sh rugby, so it's a win for everyone right on.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Awesome. So maybe you can tell me a little bit
about yourself and then how you came to invectors.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Well, so I'm married Cecil.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, it's been fifteen or sixteen years that I'm in
a French army. I'm a military doctor in the health service.
So that's my second Games. Because I was at the
Sudov in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I was selected this year and it was quite a
challenge for me because it's winter sports and the mountains
are absolutely not my environment. It's even not a safe
environment for me, so it was really a.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Great challenge for me.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I competed in whichhair basketball bat long by Alam Okay skeleton,
and I'm going to compete tomorrow in sitting volleyball.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Wow, those are a lot of competitions. How is the skeleton?
Speaker 1 (01:58):
It was?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I was really scared, really very scared. When I was
up there. There was my coach Sanya, she was there
with me and I told her I'm scared and she
she she said to me some words. She killed me,
she ground me as a matter of fact. And there
was also coach Mikaela. She's the one who coached skeleton,
(02:21):
and she recognized me because we speak a lot during
the training and she hugged me. She give me some
strength and I was ready. At the first it's very slow,
so it's okay, and then all of a sudden you
take some speed and everything goes so fast. You think
that you are going to get out of the sledge,
(02:44):
but now you stay in and the sentryfuge force. It
puts my head down, so I have to take my
head up and then I see the final line and
the final line, I say, oh, so soon, I want
to do it again.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
That your first time, It was my very first.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Time, so no training before it in France.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
We have just harided to to try as a slage
to see if we fit and to correct our posture opposition.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
But that's all.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
That is crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, And I was the first one to go for
the team and my camrad Ann was the last one,
so I was there to cheer everyone at the final line.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
And was that the first time that you did that?
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Wow, everyone, it was for the first time one shot,
first time, incredible memory.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
That's amazing. I've never done that. That's just that's that's
that is wild.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
You should try. You should try.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I should try. I know. And I'm so close to whistler. Yeah,
I think I could do that. So when you've done
a lot of sports in the game, how how much
preparation was there when you were in France to come
to the games, Like, how much time do you put
into that?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
On a bit more than a year?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, we begin to train in January twenty twenty four,
and we train. We have a bus camp bus camp
training every six or eight weeks, so we train regularly
and at home.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Are trained to personally how do we say, musculation?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, muscle strength, yes, muscle strength and carrio and all
that stuff which is important for being fit and doing
this especially if people are injured.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
And especially for me, it helps me to reduce the pain.
If I don't do sports, the pain increase. So I
have to do a bit of sports, have to move
every day.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Right, Yeah, and that's important because I mean we talk
about that on our podcast a lot too, is about
muscle strengthening, movement because as you know as a doctor,
chronic pain, if people aren't moving, it actually gets worse.
So yeah, it's so how many people on the team
in the French team.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
We are nineteen nineteen, right, and so.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
From all over France? Or are you together? Are you
training together? Are you training apart?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Or is that we are trained together at fontaine Bleue
where we are a base camp, but we are all
from all around.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
The France, right And then and when you have obviously
some people are injured on the team and that so
how is that I mean, as a doctor, are you
involved in helping with that or.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Look absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I try to separate my job and being a competitor
because I'm here to rehabilate it myself.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
I'm here to recovery to heal.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
So it's important for me to to not be the doctor.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Because it would be too much for me.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I have to focus on myself, even if sometimes I
see things, I feel things like a doctor and I say, oh, yeah,
but it's not my job.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Right. We have people.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
We have an absolute fabulous medical team, right, they are great.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
That's so great.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Two physiotherapists, one argo theraput I don't know what's the
name in English. And they're doing such a great work.
So they're here for us, the girls and women, the woman.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Ye are here for us and that's great.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yeah, that's so when you're doing your training. I'm curious
because I mean chronic pain. We know, like the research
here in Canada, chronic pain veterans suffered twice that of
the population. So in the Canadian population it's twenty percent,
veterans is forty percent. I would imagine it's probably the
same with any military in the world. Because of the job.
(06:56):
Is there any teaching or any lessons to the editors
on how to manage pain or to you know, be
aware of chronic pain. Is there any of that type
that your team's doing.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
I'm not sure about that. The thing is most of
them have chronic pain. And the thing is when we
come here, when we do our training at Fontain Blue,
we always have to one physiotherapist.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
She's always there for us.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Uh and some at home have also specific treatment with
physiotherapists at home. So I think they managed the thing
like this. Personally, I manage it with physiotherapy, with.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Care practice, the chiropractical practice.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
And chad to it's like acupuncture but Japan's way. And
I also have some tools briefing tools, visualization tools to
reduce to reduce a pain as a matter.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Of fact, yeah, the inflammation and yeah, because that's what
we try to teach too, is how body and mind
are connected when it comes to pain. And then I
don't know, like, do you guys talk any when you
leave the games? Is there did you talk about military
transition or military identity? Is there a discussion on that
(08:23):
as well?
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yes, because for some of us who are going back
to civilian life, some of us are still in the
army but not working, so they have to think about
their future. Would it be still an army or will
it be back to the civilian life. It's quite a
challenge too that to make a transition transition For me,
(08:46):
I will be back to civilian life informant, So it's
a bit scary, I must say. So the Invictius Games
are special for me and they're here to smooth transition
to the civilian life.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, it is hard. I mean, that's something we talk
I'm sure you know your your guide Helene has probably
talked about the Alpine challenge that we do and part
of that is the military transition, because it is it
is a journey, and I always say to to veterans,
it's you know, we've changed. We've left the civilian world
(09:24):
and changed. The civilian world hasn't changed. We've changed. So
now when we go back, let's use the strength and
differences of what we've learned to readjust back in because
it is a journey, and I'm glad Invictus is helping
in that way. I think that's that's aw.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah, it's funny because it's my second games and the
first one was to to make me realize that I
was strong. It was about strength, and the second one
was about is about I'm able to do a lot
of things more than I've thought I will be able to.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
So it's about confidence.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah, and that's important. And you find that's what the
game is giving to a lot of the people then too.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
When I when I chat with other competitors with friends
and family, uh, it's.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
It fills everyone.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
It's it gives hope to competitors, for sure, but also
to friends and family. It's very important for them because
our friends are family. Uh, They're here to support us,
and they see us on the darkest moment and here
they see us at best, we with stars in our eyes,
(10:42):
and they are proud of of us. But we are
proud of them too, and that is the most important
thing here.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yeah, I think you're saying that just sends chills down
my spine because I think it's it's so important the family, right,
I mean that's you know, without their support, and they
are forgotten a lot of the time, especially in the military,
as we know.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Yes, you know.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And I think you can agree or disagree with me.
And I've worked with French I've worked with Americans, I've
worked with British. For me, what I found the commonalities
were soldiers and you know it's we kind of have
the same culture. You know, the language may be different,
our our culture, our national culture may be different, but
the job seems to be and for us, I know,
(11:28):
the families are forgotten sometimes they're just and they take
the biggest burden.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
So yeah, absolutely, we have so much in common.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
And yes, even if we were not in the we
are not in the same army, even if we are
not in the same conflict, we have things in common.
And when we see each other, we don't see the
wounded soldier. We see uh, we see us. We see
each other, and we don't see the wound, we don't
see the injury.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
We see this is someone who.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Is able to do so much more than we thought
we could be able to do.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah, no, I agree to you that, and that's a
very powerful statement. So first time to Vancouver.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Yeah, absolutely amazing a little bit. I'm falling in love
with the city.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Well the usually say when people come here, they never leave.
So I mean, you know, it's we got the mountains
and we do have a bit of snow this time
of the year, so you got some games left today
to play.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Today is just sitting volleyball training.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Okay. In the afternoon, the guys are at the UBC
swimming pool, so they are going to do great, I
think so I'm hope soo a cross finger. Yeah, and
tomorrow we are going to do sitting volleyball.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
So we play very early for me, I'm not an
early person, not morning person, absolutely not. And we play
at eight twenty against Ukraine, so it's going to be
a tough game.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
A lot of supporters.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Ukrainian supporters are fantastic, so French one as the best.
If you don't know whether the friends is playing, follow
the supporters, follow the noise.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
That's where they are, so that'll be awesome. I know
Canada is playing tomorrow as well too. I'm going to
that game, so.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
We would cheer for them too.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Great, Well, I think everybody cheers for everybody at the end, right,
I mean, that's what we're here for. Right. So I
appreciate the time that you've taken. But you've got to
tell me the story.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Is the theory about my little beer?
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yeah, so for the people obviously you can't see, maybe
you can tell me a little bit about the Bear here.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yes, this dinner beer is from the Navy, okay, because
in our team we have no one from the Navy.
So ask an association from the for the Navy who
have a Navy crew and talk to them as we
have no one from the navy, can you give us
(13:56):
someone or give us a little bit because you have
some brother all around the world, and they say absolutely,
and they give us the Fear, which is the name
of the West Wind. Okay, as we were going to Vancouver,
it was quite appropriate to one of the West Wind
with us India. So this dinny one is with us,
is one of the mascot because we have two mascots,
(14:17):
Champion and the Fear.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Okay, but this one is the cutest one.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I think it is too.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Absolutely all the guys are jealous.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
And for people who can't see it, you can just
go on the French team Instagram. You would see the
Bear and.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Tim France and Victor's game and you can see him
is everywhere and.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
He's a very quiet bearer does the same. Yes, well,
I really appreciate you taking the time. Is there anything
else that you want to add before we sign off here?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
I would say thank you. We are all of them.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
I think it's the French team, but if you see everyone, competitors,
the friends and family. We are so grateful, so grateful
to the in Victors Game twenty twenty five, so grateful
to the foundation. These memories are going to be with
us all for life. I think all my life I
will remember. I will remember my skeleton. I remember all that's.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
That is awesome, Like the skeleton is that.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Is yes, and the thing is our won the medal.
So it's completely crazy. He left that out to the air.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Ye should have led with that.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Yes, bronze medal, good for you in skeleton was absolutely unexpected.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
So first time down the track, head first, and then
you walk away with the bronze bag.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Yes, we were two at the bronze medal because we
were same time, same speed. So I share this medal
with with someone from Korea. Yeah, and we were all
of them. We were on the on the podium together.
It was so great.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
It's unbelievable. I think we should have started the podcast
with that. That's awesome. Okay, well, Marie, thank you so
much for being on the show.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
For feedback about the show. Or more information on chronic pain,
you can visit our website, Veterans Chronicpain dot ca, and
if you want more information on Invictus, you can go
to their website Invictusgamesfoundation dot org. Remember to like, follow, subscribe,
and share this podcast. Thanks for listening to a special
Invictus Live series as part of the Most Painful Podcast.
(16:26):
I'm your host, Tom Hoppy. Stay safe and keep the
hope alive.
This is SSN Story Studio Network.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to this special series of the Most Painful Podcast,
recorded live from the twenty twenty five Victus Games at
Vancouver BC. I'm your host Tom Happy. On this episode,
I had the opportunity to meet the French athlete Marie
Cecil both and she tells a hair raising story about
(00:28):
her experience on the skeleton event where you go head
first down the bobslit truck. Marie, Welcome to the show.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, well it's great to have you. I know you
guys have had a busy week, very busy, and you
guys have done very well.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yes, yes, it was a very great day. We have
really great days at Whistler yea. And tonight wascial was
special because we win. We won gold medal at for
sh rugby, so it's a win for everyone right on.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Awesome. So maybe you can tell me a little bit
about yourself and then how you came to invectors.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Well, so I'm married Cecil.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yeah, it's been fifteen or sixteen years that I'm in
a French army. I'm a military doctor in the health service.
So that's my second Games. Because I was at the
Sudov in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I was selected this year and it was quite a
challenge for me because it's winter sports and the mountains
are absolutely not my environment. It's even not a safe
environment for me, so it was really a.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Great challenge for me.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
I competed in whichhair basketball bat long by Alam Okay skeleton,
and I'm going to compete tomorrow in sitting volleyball.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Wow, those are a lot of competitions. How is the skeleton?
Speaker 1 (01:58):
It was?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I was really scared, really very scared. When I was
up there. There was my coach Sanya, she was there
with me and I told her I'm scared and she
she she said to me some words. She killed me,
she ground me as a matter of fact. And there
was also coach Mikaela. She's the one who coached skeleton,
(02:21):
and she recognized me because we speak a lot during
the training and she hugged me. She give me some
strength and I was ready. At the first it's very slow,
so it's okay, and then all of a sudden you
take some speed and everything goes so fast. You think
that you are going to get out of the sledge,
(02:44):
but now you stay in and the sentryfuge force. It
puts my head down, so I have to take my
head up and then I see the final line and
the final line, I say, oh, so soon, I want
to do it again.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
That your first time, It was my very first.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Time, so no training before it in France.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
We have just harided to to try as a slage
to see if we fit and to correct our posture opposition.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
But that's all.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
That is crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, And I was the first one to go for
the team and my camrad Ann was the last one,
so I was there to cheer everyone at the final line.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
And was that the first time that you did that?
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Wow, everyone, it was for the first time one shot,
first time, incredible memory.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
That's amazing. I've never done that. That's just that's that's
that is wild.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
You should try. You should try.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I should try. I know. And I'm so close to whistler. Yeah,
I think I could do that. So when you've done
a lot of sports in the game, how how much
preparation was there when you were in France to come
to the games, Like, how much time do you put
into that?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
On a bit more than a year?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, we begin to train in January twenty twenty four,
and we train. We have a bus camp bus camp
training every six or eight weeks, so we train regularly
and at home.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Are trained to personally how do we say, musculation?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yeah, muscle strength, yes, muscle strength and carrio and all
that stuff which is important for being fit and doing
this especially if people are injured.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
And especially for me, it helps me to reduce the pain.
If I don't do sports, the pain increase. So I
have to do a bit of sports, have to move
every day.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Right, Yeah, and that's important because I mean we talk
about that on our podcast a lot too, is about
muscle strengthening, movement because as you know as a doctor,
chronic pain, if people aren't moving, it actually gets worse.
So yeah, it's so how many people on the team
in the French team.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
We are nineteen nineteen, right, and so.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
From all over France? Or are you together? Are you
training together? Are you training apart?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Or is that we are trained together at fontaine Bleue
where we are a base camp, but we are all
from all around.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
The France, right And then and when you have obviously
some people are injured on the team and that so
how is that I mean, as a doctor, are you
involved in helping with that or.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Look absolutely not.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I try to separate my job and being a competitor
because I'm here to rehabilate it myself.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
I'm here to recovery to heal.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
So it's important for me to to not be the doctor.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Because it would be too much for me.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
I have to focus on myself, even if sometimes I
see things, I feel things like a doctor and I say, oh, yeah,
but it's not my job.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Right. We have people.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
We have an absolute fabulous medical team, right, they are great.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
That's so great.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Two physiotherapists, one argo theraput I don't know what's the
name in English. And they're doing such a great work.
So they're here for us, the girls and women, the woman.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Ye are here for us and that's great.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yeah, that's so when you're doing your training. I'm curious
because I mean chronic pain. We know, like the research
here in Canada, chronic pain veterans suffered twice that of
the population. So in the Canadian population it's twenty percent,
veterans is forty percent. I would imagine it's probably the
same with any military in the world. Because of the job.
(06:56):
Is there any teaching or any lessons to the editors
on how to manage pain or to you know, be
aware of chronic pain. Is there any of that type
that your team's doing.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
I'm not sure about that. The thing is most of
them have chronic pain. And the thing is when we
come here, when we do our training at Fontain Blue,
we always have to one physiotherapist.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
She's always there for us.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Uh and some at home have also specific treatment with
physiotherapists at home. So I think they managed the thing
like this. Personally, I manage it with physiotherapy, with.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Care practice, the chiropractical practice.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
And chad to it's like acupuncture but Japan's way. And
I also have some tools briefing tools, visualization tools to
reduce to reduce a pain as a matter.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Of fact, yeah, the inflammation and yeah, because that's what
we try to teach too, is how body and mind
are connected when it comes to pain. And then I
don't know, like, do you guys talk any when you
leave the games? Is there did you talk about military
transition or military identity? Is there a discussion on that
(08:23):
as well?
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yes, because for some of us who are going back
to civilian life, some of us are still in the
army but not working, so they have to think about
their future. Would it be still an army or will
it be back to the civilian life. It's quite a
challenge too that to make a transition transition For me,
(08:46):
I will be back to civilian life informant, So it's
a bit scary, I must say. So the Invictius Games
are special for me and they're here to smooth transition
to the civilian life.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Yeah, it is hard. I mean, that's something we talk
I'm sure you know your your guide Helene has probably
talked about the Alpine challenge that we do and part
of that is the military transition, because it is it
is a journey, and I always say to to veterans,
it's you know, we've changed. We've left the civilian world
(09:24):
and changed. The civilian world hasn't changed. We've changed. So
now when we go back, let's use the strength and
differences of what we've learned to readjust back in because
it is a journey, and I'm glad Invictus is helping
in that way. I think that's that's aw.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah, it's funny because it's my second games and the
first one was to to make me realize that I
was strong. It was about strength, and the second one
was about is about I'm able to do a lot
of things more than I've thought I will be able to.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
So it's about confidence.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah, and that's important. And you find that's what the
game is giving to a lot of the people then too.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
When I when I chat with other competitors with friends
and family, uh, it's.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
It fills everyone.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
It's it gives hope to competitors, for sure, but also
to friends and family. It's very important for them because
our friends are family. Uh, They're here to support us,
and they see us on the darkest moment and here
they see us at best, we with stars in our eyes,
(10:42):
and they are proud of of us. But we are
proud of them too, and that is the most important
thing here.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yeah, I think you're saying that just sends chills down
my spine because I think it's it's so important the family, right,
I mean that's you know, without their support, and they
are forgotten a lot of the time, especially in the military,
as we know.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Yes, you know.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
And I think you can agree or disagree with me.
And I've worked with French I've worked with Americans, I've
worked with British. For me, what I found the commonalities
were soldiers and you know it's we kind of have
the same culture. You know, the language may be different,
our our culture, our national culture may be different, but
the job seems to be and for us, I know,
(11:28):
the families are forgotten sometimes they're just and they take
the biggest burden.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
So yeah, absolutely, we have so much in common.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
And yes, even if we were not in the we
are not in the same army, even if we are
not in the same conflict, we have things in common.
And when we see each other, we don't see the
wounded soldier. We see uh, we see us. We see
each other, and we don't see the wound, we don't
see the injury.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
We see this is someone who.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Is able to do so much more than we thought
we could be able to do.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah, no, I agree to you that, and that's a
very powerful statement. So first time to Vancouver.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Yeah, absolutely amazing a little bit. I'm falling in love
with the city.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Well the usually say when people come here, they never leave.
So I mean, you know, it's we got the mountains
and we do have a bit of snow this time
of the year, so you got some games left today
to play.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Today is just sitting volleyball training.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Okay. In the afternoon, the guys are at the UBC
swimming pool, so they are going to do great, I
think so I'm hope soo a cross finger. Yeah, and
tomorrow we are going to do sitting volleyball.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
So we play very early for me, I'm not an
early person, not morning person, absolutely not. And we play
at eight twenty against Ukraine, so it's going to be
a tough game.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
A lot of supporters.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Ukrainian supporters are fantastic, so French one as the best.
If you don't know whether the friends is playing, follow
the supporters, follow the noise.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
That's where they are, so that'll be awesome. I know
Canada is playing tomorrow as well too. I'm going to
that game, so.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
We would cheer for them too.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Great, Well, I think everybody cheers for everybody at the end, right,
I mean, that's what we're here for. Right. So I
appreciate the time that you've taken. But you've got to
tell me the story.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Is the theory about my little beer?
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yeah, so for the people obviously you can't see, maybe
you can tell me a little bit about the Bear here.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yes, this dinner beer is from the Navy, okay, because
in our team we have no one from the Navy.
So ask an association from the for the Navy who
have a Navy crew and talk to them as we
have no one from the navy, can you give us
(13:56):
someone or give us a little bit because you have
some brother all around the world, and they say absolutely,
and they give us the Fear, which is the name
of the West Wind. Okay, as we were going to Vancouver,
it was quite appropriate to one of the West Wind
with us India. So this dinny one is with us,
is one of the mascot because we have two mascots,
(14:17):
Champion and the Fear.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Okay, but this one is the cutest one.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
I think it is too.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
Absolutely all the guys are jealous.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
And for people who can't see it, you can just
go on the French team Instagram. You would see the
Bear and.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Tim France and Victor's game and you can see him
is everywhere and.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
He's a very quiet bearer does the same. Yes, well,
I really appreciate you taking the time. Is there anything
else that you want to add before we sign off here?
Speaker 1 (14:43):
I would say thank you. We are all of them.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
I think it's the French team, but if you see everyone, competitors,
the friends and family. We are so grateful, so grateful
to the in Victors Game twenty twenty five, so grateful
to the foundation. These memories are going to be with
us all for life. I think all my life I
will remember. I will remember my skeleton. I remember all that's.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
That is awesome, Like the skeleton is that.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Is yes, and the thing is our won the medal.
So it's completely crazy. He left that out to the air.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Ye should have led with that.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Yes, bronze medal, good for you in skeleton was absolutely unexpected.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
So first time down the track, head first, and then
you walk away with the bronze bag.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
Yes, we were two at the bronze medal because we
were same time, same speed. So I share this medal
with with someone from Korea. Yeah, and we were all
of them. We were on the on the podium together.
It was so great.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
It's unbelievable. I think we should have started the podcast
with that. That's awesome. Okay, well, Marie, thank you so
much for being on the show.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
For feedback about the show. Or more information on chronic pain,
you can visit our website, Veterans Chronicpain dot ca, and
if you want more information on Invictus, you can go
to their website Invictusgamesfoundation dot org. Remember to like, follow, subscribe,
and share this podcast. Thanks for listening to a special
Invictus Live series as part of the Most Painful Podcast.
(16:26):
I'm your host, Tom Hoppy. Stay safe and keep the
hope alive.
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