2023-09-11 15:18:47
Jona Aigouy hopes to be able to take part in the Paris 2024 Games. Laurent Lairys / Laurent Lairys / Panoramic
Athlete Jona Aigouy is forced to resort to different solutions to hope to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games.
She thought the Olympic dream was over. In May 2022, Jona Aigouy seriously injured his knee. Then French javelin champion, the French delegation thinks they are losing one of their best chances in the discipline: “When I got injured in May 2022, the sky fell on my head and I thought the Olympics were over for me“, she explains in the Parisian. But through hard work, the 24-year-old athlete managed to return to his best level. So much so that she became French Elite champion again last June in Albi, at the same time beating her personal record: “Eleven months ago, I had knee surgery and I had to start rehabilitation so when I broke my personal best in Albi by throwing 58.12m, I was too happy.»
An Olympic dream difficult to finance
Having returned to his best level, the challenge is now to be able to take part in the Paris Games. In order to achieve this, athletes must obtain points in the best javelin competitions and thus obtain a good “ranking”. Problem is, these competitions take place far from French soil: Australia, Japan or even the United States. Travel is therefore expensive, even more so in a sport with little media coverage which therefore does not bring in much. Aveyronnaise therefore mobilized different levers to find funds. Babysitting, high school supervisor and summer camp leader. Even her student grants went there and finally some of her furniture, which she resold.
30,000 euros collected thanks to an online kitty
Following meetings with people moved by her story, she decided to launch an online fundraiser. This initiative was crowned with success since the amount reached was 30,000 euros. Support that matters: “This boosts my motivation even more and highlights the difficulty young athletes have in providing for daily life and the needs of their family, alongside their career. We should be able to concentrate on our performances and our state of form but we have to manage the extra sporting aspects. This money will give me a breath of fresh air to achieve my goal.» Jona Aigouy, who we hope to see at the Paris Games, is still looking for sponsors.
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