The Pasteur school opens up to the world of sports and disabilities by welcoming Fabien Morat and Didier Balayre, who came to share their experiences of high-level competition.
As part of the Olympic Games and Disability project, the CM2 class of Aurélie Lopez at Pasteur school received para-badminton athlete Fabien Morat. Morat, a six-time French singles champion and seven-time doubles champion, as well as a two-time bronze medalist at the European Championships, a silver medalist, and three-time bronze medalist at the World Championships in the category of small stature. Didier Balayre, who initiated this meeting, shared about his career as a high-level skier.
Fabien Morat previously balanced a career as an engineer in research with a national and international sports career, which he ended in 2023 at the age of 42. During more than an hour, he captivated the children’s attention, sharing his career, high-level experience, and his disability, before answering numerous questions.
“It was a great pleasure to share my experience with the children and to inspire them. It’s a way of raising awareness about disabilities and sports, hoping to see them join sports clubs and maybe one day become high-level athletes,” he emphasized. “I was surprised by the wide range of questions, from training, injuries, performance, to travel. It was really diverse. Badminton has a lot to gain in the school environment. Our athletes of tomorrow are today’s students, and I believe that by entering schools, we can promote our sport.”
Didier Balayre complemented this intervention by sharing his high-level skiing experience, along with anecdotes about his titles and medals within the Wengen Ski Club.
Teacher Aurélie Lopez expressed her satisfaction: “Organizing a meeting with high-level athletes is a highlight. It allows students to meet international champions. Sports practice and all these positive values are essential in students’ educational journeys. Students were able to ask questions, which were prepared in advance with Didier’s help. This allowed them to enter the world of athletes. They understood the demand for pushing practice to its highest level of perfection.”
The children’s perspective on sports and disabilities will now be different.
