2024 Paralympic Games: these four teenagers paint to experience the opening ceremony in Paris
|e gauche à droite : Christelle Nuez, Ryhanna, Katy Lebel, Maïlys, Assia, Lydie Lopez et Mathilde; devant les tableaux. MLG
L'EEAP¨Montaury de la Croix Rouge a embarqué ces jeunes filles polyhandicapées dans ce projet extraordinaire.
Everyone close to these four young girls is convinced of it. Yes, Maïlys, Assia, Ryhanna and Mathilde will indeed attend, on August 28, the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Paris, Place de la Concorde. And to make this dream come true, despite the multiple disabilities from which they suffer, the teenagers created paintings, the main threads of the exhibition Draw me your sport displayed at the Maison de la region, Place des Arènes, until the end of the year. rsquo;as of February 2. Paintings whose sale will help finance this extraordinary project,
honed by their art therapist, Christelle Nuez, their educational instructor, Katy Lebel, and their educational and social support, Lydie Lopez, within the EEAP (Establishment for Polyhandicapped Children and Adolescents) Montaury of the Red Cross.
Since September, the trio has been supporting budding artists with one goal: to sublimate difference. And art therapy allows it, explains Christelle Nuez. For example, Ryhanna did not use the weights, usually attached to her hands, to perform Pollock-style throws. Assia painted the backgrounds of all the paintings, which requires a lot of attention." As for Maïlys, she filled in, using Posca, the logos of each sport featured.
Sports every day
In the end, an explosion of colors for stylized works that speak to them. Because, in Montaury, the 30 minutes of daily sport is not an empty idea: "We cycle, swim, judo, blowgun, lists Katy Lebel. Fencing too: they met the disabled fencer from Gard, Enzo Giorgi, who agreed to be the sponsor of this project." Let’s not forget the flagship sport of severe disability, botcha, an adapted form of pétanque.
An online prize pool
After the Maison de la region, the exhibition will head towards the headquarters of Crédit Agricole, in Milhaud, a company which has chosen to participate in financing the project, just like Rotary Nemausus. The small team must now raise the impressive sum of €8,700. "We opened, in addition to the sale of paintings, a Leetchi prize pool under the name Dessine-moi ton sport, continues Katy Lebel. The Red Cross is currently looking for accommodation in Paris, and we need to contact the SNCF."
During the opening, the eyes of the families, proud of this &lavaluation», shone, convinced that the young girls, aged 15 to 18, will realize their dream. "They'll get there, that's for sure, smiled Anne-Isabelle, Maïlys' mother. I felt my daughter happy to do this project."
And it won't be the last: the EEAP¨Montaury team is already thinking, in 2025, of taking a group on a tour of Gard on a tricycle…