Cécile Saboureau

Cécile Saboureau
Personal information
National teamFrance
Born (1983-05-14) 14 May 1983 (age 41)
Pithiviers, France
Sport
SportParatriathlon
Medal record
Women's paratriathlon
Representing  France
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Madrid PTS2
Gold medal – first place 2024 Vichy PTS2

Cécile Saboureau (born 14 May 1983) is a French paratriathlete. She is a two-time French champion and PTS2 European champion in 2023.

Early life and amputation

During her youth, Saboureau was a professional rider. Beginning at age 12, she had participated in the French and European show jumping equestrian championships and won several titles.[1] In 2004, when Saboureau was 20 years old. She was the victim of a car accident that caused her to have to amputate a large part of her right leg. After two years of rehabilitation, she wore a femoral prosthesis, resumed equestrian competition and became the French disabled show jumping champion.[2][1]

Career

In July 2018, Saboureau began her paratriathlon career, registered with the Triathlon Club de Saint-Quentin en Yvelines,[3] won her first French championship in Gravelines in 2018 in the PTS2 category and in December, she was selected for the French team.[4] In 2020, she won the French paratriathlon champion title for the second time in Quiberon.[5] Between 2018 and 2021, she stood on the podium several times at the triathlon world cup stages, and rose to 9th place in the world in her discipline.[6] In addition, she took part in the European Running Clinics, the European para-athletics championships in Berlin organized by Ottobock.[1]

Though selected for the French triathlon team for the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Saboureau withdrew at the end of July 2021, following a road accident during training.[7][8] On 30 July 2021, Saboureau was in the middle of a cycling training session on a departmental road near Vichy with the French team. While she had priority, a truck cut her off and, not having seen her, her head got stuck in the dumpster and the trucker fled.[8][9] She escaped with several fractures.[10] To avoid wearing a corset for four months, she chose to have spinal surgery using spinejack cementoplasty.[10]

Personal life

Saboureau obtained a diploma in equine ethology at the Haras de la Cense in Rochefort-en-Yvelines, as well as a federal certificate in equine handi supervision (BFEEH). She is an equine ethology teacher and riding instructor.[2] She is president and founder of the Association sport handicap et autonomie (A.S.H.A), she is also an ambassador for Ottobock, whose prosthesis she wears[1] and the Alice Milliat Foundation. She is also involved in other associations which are "Mobiles en Ville" and the "Association for the defense and study of amputees".[11] On 14 and 15 June 2018, she volunteered at the fourth edition of the Handisport Paris Open which takes place at Stade Sébastien Charléty.[1]

As of 2021, Saboureau resides in Élancourt.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Rencontre avec Cécile Saboureau". ottobock.fr. June 2018. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b David Houdinet (May 2019). Changer les regards sur le handicap – Cécile Saboureau. Ville Guyancourt.
  3. ^ "14 nouveaux sélectionnés pour les Jeux de Tokyo". france-paralympique.fr. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Retour sur les championnats de France de Paratriathlon 2018". FFtri. 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Cecile Saboureau, championne de France de paratriathlon 2020 (PTS2)". chabloz-ortho.com. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  6. ^ Tom Rousset (24 August 2021). "Jeux Paralympiques de Tokyo : qui sont les 29 athlètes franciliens en compétition". France 3 Régions.
  7. ^ "Jeux paralympiques Tokyo : toutes les infos course !". Fédération Française de Triathlon. 26 August 2021.
  8. ^ a b Julien Soyer (24 August 2021). "Jeux paralympiques. La para-triathlète Cécile Saboureau forfait à Tokyo". Ouest-France.
  9. ^ "Le destin brisé de Cécile Saboureau". france.tv. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Yvelines | Le nouveau combat de Cécile Saboureau, paratriathlète". tv78.com. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  11. ^ Rencontre avec Cécile Saboureau (PDF). Adepa Mag'. December 2020. p. 28.
  12. ^ Julie Ménard (27 August 2021). "Privée de jeux paralympiques après un grave accident de vélo, Cécile Saboureau veut "continuer à avancer"". Le Parisien.