Epileptic and world champion: Marion Clignet, the former cyclist who became a standard bearer for patients

Marion Clignet, six fois championne du monde et doublée médaillée d'argent olympique sur piste, vit en Occitanie. Jelenew

International Epilepsy Day, this Monday, February 12, is an opportunity to remember that these patients are still too often discriminated against. The former track champion, loaded with medals, is fighting to raise funds and change the way people look at this disease.

We often get on our bike to go looking for someone who is missing or to run away from something. In the case of Marion Clignet, it was a question of escaping epilepsy. The Franco-American, born in Chicago to French parents, saw this disease fall on her at the age of 22.

Characterized by a sudden and transient disruption of the electrical activity of the brain, it is characterized in its most violent form by loss of consciousness accompanied by spectacular convulsions. "My driving license was suspended and I started cycling to maintain my independence", says Marion.

Failed by the US team, welcomed by France

A refusal of fate which would also have a high therapeutic impact: "Through sport I undoubtedly brought& nbsp;more oxygen to my brain and learned to recognize the signs announcing a seizure."

From personal comfort to high performance there was a chasm that she crossed with giant strides: six times world champion and world record holder in track pursuit, twice silver medalist at the Olympics 1996 and 2000. All this despite only having started competitions at the age of 25!

"In 1990, the American team refused to take me to the worlds, telling me that I' ;was a risk for the team, she says. Lucien Bailly, the French DTN at the time offered me a place in the national team. I settled in France and never left it…"

Won a stage after having a seizure

With her fabulous track record under her belt, she is the standard bearer for a population of patients generally excluded from the realm of performance. Living proof that one can reconcile epilepsy and high performance, up to this incredible anecdote: a seizure which threw her to the ground during the warm-up before a stage of the Tour du Finistère from which she will take the start to cross the line as the winner ! 

"There are 57 different forms of epilepsy. All of them are certainly not compatible with intensive practice of sport, she says. It all depends on how it's handled but I think sport is a very good thing for kids with epilepsy." < /em>