Guillaume Lammertyn

Guillaume Lammertyn will carry the Olympic torch. This is his story:

Running has quite literally been a lifesaver for Guillaume, a seasoned marathon enthusiast. In April 2022, a routine stress test, required for a medical certificate, turned his world upside down. It yielded a red flag, leading to further examinations and emergency triple bypass surgery. For someone who lived clean and ran on a regular basis, it felt like a bolt from the blue.

The surgeon, an operating room maestro, promised him a return to normal life within six months due to his favourable environment. Taking it as a personal challenge, Guillaume quickly returned to work and went back to running. He signed up for the 2023 Marathon de Paris as soon as he received his medical certificate, smashing the 3:30 barrier less than a year after his triple bypass.

On the occasion of the marathon, Guillaume raised €1,500 for Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque Enfants du Monde, a charity that enables children in developing countries with heart defects to undergo surgery in France. His takeaway? Get moving! Without his strong physical and mental condition, Guillaume would never have been able to bounce back so fast. He also stresses the importance of prevention, even for those who seem healthy, and calls for solidarity, as many lack access to such high-quality healthcare.