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It’s 6 a.m. The sky has barely recovered from last night’s downpours, and the Bay of Saint-Jean is choppy—a sight that inspires anything but serenity. My usual playground is the gym and indoor cycling classes. But between my recent move to the island and all the moving boxes, my training came to a screeching halt, and my plan to swim in the ocean never got off the ground.
On the sand, however, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. I’m greeted with open arms by Jean-Marc Outil, president of the organizing club, and his wife Jessica. All around us, the scene is taking shape, but my eyes are fixed on my future swimming partners. Slim, highly trained bodies. Some are already warming up with disconcerting ease. Among them is a certain Lukas Outil, Jean-Marc’s son, known for swimming from Saint Barth to Saint Martin in 6 hours and 7 minutes. Fortunately, the presence of my niece Victoire—who came to volunteer with her mom—as well as that of my partner, also a triathlete, acts as a soothing balm against the stress.
The idea for the day is simple: form teams of four chosen at random (one captain and three teammates) to each complete two laps of a challenging course: a 400-meter swim in the bay, an “Australian-style” exit from the water, a run on the sand, and the baton handoff.
The draw places me on Jessica’s team. Phew, a familiar face! The race begins. The competition is fierce. Our team is bringing up the rear, but spirits are high. Suddenly, a little extra pressure: a participant from another group faints. The sea quickly reminds us that it doesn’t go easy on anyone.
Then it’s my turn. Jessica comes out onto the sand and high-fives me. It’s my turn.
Taking the Plunge
Spurred on by the crowd’s cheers and the euphoria of the moment, I dash in way too fast. A rookie mistake. Very quickly, my inexperience in the ocean catches up with me. The waves knock me down one after another. I’m gasping for breath. At times, I feel like I’m treading water. But the thought of giving up doesn’t even cross my mind. I cough, I swim, I battle the elements for a few minutes that feel like hours.
Finally, my feet touch the sand. I begin my final sprint to pass the baton to my teammate, cheered on by Victoire, who’s running right beside me. Once the baton is passed, my legs give out: I collapse.
Shaking, I’m taken care of by my family, joined by my brother, who refuels me: a wedge of orange, a banana... It takes a while for me to get back on my feet. That’s when Jessica approaches me gently to share the staff’s decision: for safety reasons, I won’t be running the second lap. At first, disappointment washes over me. But reason quickly takes over: safety comes first.
A true team victory
What follows perfectly sums up the spirit of the day. To replace me and allow the team to finish, my teammates, Sarah and Kelvin, step up without hesitation: Sarah will take the first 200 meters, Kelvin the next 200. It’s a show of solidarity that touches my heart deeply.
We’re now guaranteed to finish last, but it doesn’t matter: we’re a team. When Kelvin emerges from the water for the final meters of the race, we all join hands. Together, lined up side by side and with smiles on our faces, we cross the finish line.
The exertion gives way to comfort over a wonderful breakfast provided by the Eden Rock Hotel, a partner of the event, before the awards ceremony honoring the top three finishers. As for me, I’ll be leaving without a trophy and with a few liters of seawater in my stomach, but the experience was fantastic: a race I’d do again in a heartbeat… with just a little more training in the ocean next time!
2026 Race Results
1 Joris Bouchaut, Ambrime Chattour, Tom Soulard, Pedro Greaux Ramos 53'54"
2 Lou-Ann Ray, Nathan Thieurmel, Youenn Morin, Brian Basnight 57'52"
3 Steven Roussel, Didier Duzant, Richard Ramassamy, Henri De Almeida 58'59"
4 Lukas Outil, Alexandre Greaux, Philippe Masseglia, Monique Movich 59'00"
5 Marine Bailly, Thibaut Broset, Gilles Reynal, Estelle Page 59'10"
6 Théo Questel, Philippe Rossoni, Manon Poillion, Benjamin Landais 59'14"
7 Lauriane Prevost, Guillaume Vouillot-Scemana, Fabien Peregrini,
Cécile Thouvenin Lenient 59'26"
8 Nathalie Gumbs, Seara Bruno, Chloé Libourel, Aleks Marinkovic 1h01'00"
9 Arnaud Brossard, Logan Cloarec, Olivier Milon, Vanessa Glain 1h02'20"
10 Camille Outil, Jérôme Beudin, Kevin Lorin, Marie-Emmanuelle Paziot 1h03'15"
11 Damien Noto, Chloé Bouchon, Eline Tellier, Aurélien Richard 1h03'24"
12 Claire Parmentier, Thomas Manteau, Laurine Di Scala,
Julie Chevreul Raimbault 1h04'49"
13 Jean-Marc Outil, Irène D’Amico, Camille Gras, Nina Essabar 1h05'30"
14 Cheyenne Palma, Michel Maurel, Cécile Hoareau, Valérie Lacour 1h05'42"
15 Christine Joimel, Maximiliano Silva, Michael Basnight, Lou Autefault 1h08'09"
16 Sarah Claassen, Kelvin François, Jessica Pearson Outil, Amélie Bernardini 1h11'09"
